Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

चैत्रशुक्ल त्रयोदश्यां तत्र यात्रा च कामदा । नलकूबर लिंगं च प्राच्यां कामेश्वराच्छुभम्

Transliteration

caitraśukla trayodaśyāṃ tatra yātrā ca kāmadā | nalakūbara liṃgaṃ ca prācyāṃ kāmeśvarācchubham

Translation

Am dreizehnten Tag der hellen Monatshälfte des Caitra schenkt die Pilgerfahrt dorthin die Erfüllung innig gehegter Wünsche. Östlich des glückverheißenden Kāmeśvara steht der Liṅga namens Nalakūbara, strahlend und heilig.

Word by Word

• caitraśukla: in the bright fortnight of Caitra
• caitraśukla: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caitra (प्रातिपदिक) + śukla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः कर्मधारयः; नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्; (caitra-śukle [pakṣe] understood)

• trayodaśyām: on the thirteenth (tithi)
• trayodaśyām: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: trayodaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• yātrā: pilgrimage/festival procession
• yātrā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• kāmadā: wish-granting
• kāmadā: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāmadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (yātrāyāḥ)

• nalakūbara: Nalakūbara
• nalakūbara: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nalakūbara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; नाम (proper name)

• liṅgam: liṅga (Śiva emblem)
• liṅgam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचनम्; अत्र नामनिर्देशे प्रथमा

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• prācyām: in the east
• prācyām: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prācī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्; दिग्वाचक (in the east)

• kāmeśvarāt: from Kāmeśvara
• kāmeśvarāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāmeśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचनम्; अपादान (source)

• śubham: auspicious
• śubham: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (liṅgasya)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nalakūbara-liṅga (east of Kāmeśvara)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim couple at dawn on Caitra-śukla Trayodaśī offers bilva and water at Kāmeśvara, then walks east through narrow lanes to the radiant Nalakūbara-liṅga; temple lamps glow, priests chant, and the Ganga’s presence is felt in the air.

Characters & Entities

• Caitra-śukla Trayodaśī
• Kāmeśvara
• Nalakūbara-liṅga
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sacred landscape is mapped through liṅgas, and visiting them on auspicious lunar days is taught as a dharmic means for legitimate wish-fulfillment and spiritual uplift.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nalakūbara-liṅga, located to the east of Kāmeśvara in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertaking a yātrā (pilgrimage/holy visit) on Caitra-śukla Trayodaśī.