Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

तौ निपात्य महादैत्यावकार्यकरणोद्यतौ । ततः परिणतिं यातो लिंगरूपेण कंदुकः

Transliteration

tau nipātya mahādaityāvakāryakaraṇodyatau | tataḥ pariṇatiṃ yāto liṃgarūpeṇa kaṃdukaḥ

Translation

Nachdem er jene zwei mächtigen Dämonen, die zu unrechten Taten bereit waren, zu Boden gestreckt hatte, erfuhr Kanduka eine wunderbare Wandlung und wurde in der Gestalt eines Śiva-Liṅga gegründet.

Word by Word

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), द्विवचनम् (Dual)

• निपात्य: having struck down
• निपात्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि√पत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having thrown down/caused to fall’

• महादैत्यौ: the two great demons
• महादैत्यौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादैत्य (प्रातिपदिक) = महा + दैत्य
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), द्विवचनम् (Dual)

• अकार्यकरणोद्यतौ: intent on doing improper deeds
• अकार्यकरणोद्यतौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अकार्य-करण-उद्यत (प्रातिपदिक) = अकार्य + करण + उद्यत
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), द्विवचनम् (Dual); विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययम् (indeclinable), अव्यय-प्रयोगः (ablatival adverb)

• परिणतिम्: transformation; change
• परिणतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिणति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• यातः: attained; became
• यातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (Past participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘gone/attained’

• लिङ्गरूपेण: in the form of a liṅga
• लिङ्गरूपेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग-रूप (प्रातिपदिक) = लिङ्ग + रूप
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• कंदुकः: Kanduka (name)
• कंदुकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कंदुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम् (Singular)

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextually Skanda in Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kandukeśvara (liṅga)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fierce encounter where two great demons fall; immediately the heroic figure ‘Kanduka’ becomes a radiant Śiva-liṅga, the battlefield dissolving into sanctified stillness.

Characters & Entities

• Kanduka
• Daityas (demons)
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma is destroyed, the Divine becomes accessible through a tangible sacred form—here, the liṅga as a focus for devotion in Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The emerging sanctity relates to Kandukeśvara, a liṅga-site in Kāśī connected with the vicinity of Jyeṣṭheśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it establishes the liṅga’s origin, which later supports worship and darśana.