Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

मूर्तयो ब्रह्मविष्ण्वर्कशिवविघ्नेश्वरादिकाः । लिंगं शैवमिति ख्यातं यत्रैतत्तीर्थमेव तत्

Transliteration

mūrtayo brahmaviṣṇvarkaśivavighneśvarādikāḥ | liṃgaṃ śaivamiti khyātaṃ yatraitattīrthameva tat

Translation

Die göttlichen Gestalten—Brahmā, Viṣṇu, die Sonne, Śiva, Vighneśvara und andere—wo immer dies als ein śaivischer Liṅga bekannt ist, eben jener Ort ist wahrhaft ein tīrtha.

Word by Word

• मूर्तयः: forms/images
• मूर्तयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्ता (subject)

• ब्रह्मविष्ण्वर्कशिवविघ्नेश्वरादिकाः: (such as) Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Arka (Sun), Śiva, Vighneśvara, etc.
• ब्रह्मविष्ण्वर्कशिवविघ्नेश्वरादिकाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + विष्णु + अर्क + शिव + विघ्नेश्वर + आदि (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (enumerative) + आदिक (etc.); मूर्तयः इति विशेषण

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता/विधेय (topic)

• शैवम्: Śaiva (of Śiva)
• शैवम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (Śaiva: pertaining to Śiva)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/वाक्य-समाप्ति सूचक (quotative: ‘thus’)

• ख्यातम्: is known/called
• ख्यातम्: Kriya (Participial predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि (is known/called)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक (where)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Demonstrative/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देश (this)

• तीर्थम्: tīrtha
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता (subject with ‘तत्’)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (just/indeed)

• तत्: that (is)
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निर्देश (that)

Speaker

Śiva (Devadeva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Liṅga-centered tīrtha (general principle applied to Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (frame); Devī is the immediate addressee in the quoted dialogue

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred precinct showing icons of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Sūrya, Gaṇeśa, and others arranged around a central Śaiva liṅga; the teaching declares the whole locus a tīrtha when recognized as liṅga-centered.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Arka (Sūrya)
• Śiva
• Vighneśvara (Gaṇeśa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacredness is anchored in Śiva’s liṅga principle; even diverse divine forms are integrated into the tīrtha-identity where the Śaiva liṅga is recognized.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A general rule for Kāśī’s sacred geography: any locus renowned for a Śaiva liṅga is itself a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recognition and worship of the Śaiva liṅga as the defining marker of a tīrtha; no specific vrata/snana is detailed in this verse.