Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

तैः स्वनाम्नेह लिंगानि कृत्वाऽपि कृतकृत्यता । अत्र येन महादेवि लिंगं संस्थापितं मम

Transliteration

taiḥ svanāmneha liṃgāni kṛtvā'pi kṛtakṛtyatā | atra yena mahādevi liṃgaṃ saṃsthāpitaṃ mama

Translation

Durch sie werden hier Liṅgas in ihrem eigenen Namen errichtet, und so erlangen sie Vollendung. Doch, o Mahādevī, wer immer hier mein Liṅga aufstellt…

Word by Word

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• स्वनाम्ना: by (their) own name
• स्वनाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य नाम)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक/adverb of place)

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas
• लिङ्गानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having done/made’

• अपि: even, though
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; concessive ‘even/though’)

• कृतकृत्यता: the state of having fulfilled one’s duty
• कृतकृत्यता: Karta/Predicate (State/भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (कृ-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त) + कृत्यता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (कृता कृत्यता = accomplished-ness)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक/adverb)

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karana (Instrument/Agentive-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महा + देवी)

• लिङ्गम्: a liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• संस्थापितम्: established
• संस्थापितम्: Kriya/Predicate (Result state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्थाप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘established’

• मम: of me, my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva, speaking to Gaurī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandavana/Kāśī (liṅga-pratiṣṭhā focus)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī/Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees (from various realms) fashion and consecrate liṅgas in Ānandavana; some bear the founders’ names, while one central liṅga is explicitly Śiva’s, radiating stronger light; Śiva speaks to Devī about the superior fruit.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied by 'mama')
• Mahādevī (Gaurī)
• Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (installation of liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Creating or installing a liṅga in Kāśī is portrayed as a consummating act of dharma that brings deep spiritual completion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s Ānandavana, where liṅga establishment is especially meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-saṃsthāpana (liṅga installation/establishment) is referenced as a sacred act, though details of procedure are not given here.