Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

कृत्तिवासेश्वरं नाम महापातकनाशनम् । सर्वेषामेव लिंगानां शिरोभूतमिदं वरम्

Transliteration

kṛttivāseśvaraṃ nāma mahāpātakanāśanam | sarveṣāmeva liṃgānāṃ śirobhūtamidaṃ varam

Translation

Sein Name ist Kṛttivāseśvara, der Vernichter großer Sünden; unter allen Liṅgas ist dieser Gesegnete das „Haupt“, der vornehmste.

Word by Word

• kṛttivāseśvaram: Kṛttivāseśvara (name of Śiva)
• kṛttivāseśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛttivāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (kṛttivāsasya īśvaraḥ)

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Sambandha (Apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; particle meaning ‘by name/indeed’ (नाम)

• mahāpātakanāśanam: destroyer of great sins
• mahāpātakanāśanam: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + pātaka (प्रातिपदिक) + nāśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (mahāpātakānāṃ nāśanam / mahāpātaka-nāśanam)

• sarveṣām: of all
• sarveṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; emphatic particle (indeed/only)

• liṅgānām: of liṅgas
• liṅgānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• śirobhūtam: become the chief/head
• śirobhūtam: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (भू-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (śiraḥ-bhūtam = ‘having become the head/chief’)

• idam: this
• idam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• varam: excellent/boon
• varam: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; used substantively

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṛttivāseśvara

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / pilgrims as implied audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A newly consecrated liṅga is revealed with the name ‘Kṛttivāseśvara’; a crown-like motif indicates ‘śirobhūta’ (foremost), while devotees and sages chant its name as a purifier of mahāpātakas.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛttivāseśvara
• Liṅga
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s presence as Kṛttivāseśvara is proclaimed as supremely purifying, capable of erasing even major sins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kṛttivāseśvara liṅga in Kāśī (Avimukta).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not specified, but the verse implies that approaching and venerating this liṅga brings sin-destruction and spiritual elevation.