Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

कंदुकेशं महालिंगं काश्यां यैर्न समर्चितम् । कथं तेषां भवनीशौ स्यातां सर्वेप्सितप्रदौ

Transliteration

kaṃdukeśaṃ mahāliṃgaṃ kāśyāṃ yairna samarcitam | kathaṃ teṣāṃ bhavanīśau syātāṃ sarvepsitapradau

Translation

Diejenigen, die in Kāśī den großen Liṅga Kandukeśa nicht gebührend verehrt haben—wie könnten Bhavānī und Īśa ihnen Spender aller ersehnten Gaben sein?

Word by Word

• कंदुकेशम्: Kandukeśa (Lord of Kanduka)
• कंदुकेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कंदुकेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कंदुकस्य ईशः)

• महालिङ्गम्: the great liṅga
• महालिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् लिङ्गम्)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• यैः: by whom (those who)
• यैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धे/हेतौ—‘by whom/with whom’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• समर्चितम्: (has been) duly worshipped
• समर्चितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे—‘(it) was worshipped’

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• भवनीशौ: Bhavānī and Īśa (Pārvatī and Śiva)
• भवनीशौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवानी + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), द्विवचन; समासः—इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (भवानी च ईशश्च)

• स्याताम्: could be / would become
• स्याताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन

• सर्वेप्सितप्रदौ: granting all desired (boons)
• सर्वेप्सितप्रदौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + ईप्सित + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), द्विवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषाम् ईप्सितस्य प्रदौ)

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextually Skanda in Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kandukeśa / Kandukeśvara Liṅga (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa interlocutor (explicit in v.44)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Kāśī stands before the dark stone liṅga of Kandukeśa, offering bilva leaves and water; behind, Bhavānī and Īśa are envisioned as the unseen bestowers of boons, with the ghāṭs and lamps of Kāśī suggested in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Kandukeśa
• Kāśī
• Bhavānī
• Īśa (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Grace is linked with active devotion; neglecting sacred worship in a celebrated kṣetra undermines one’s claim to divine boons.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kandukeśa/Kandukeśvara mahāliṅga in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Samarcana/arcana—proper worship of the Kandukeśa liṅga in Kāśī.