Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

येषां हि संस्थितिः काश्यां लिंगार्चनरतात्मनाम् । त एव मम लिंगानि जंगमानि न संशयः

Transliteration

yeṣāṃ hi saṃsthitiḥ kāśyāṃ liṃgārcanaratātmanām | ta eva mama liṃgāni jaṃgamāni na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Wahrlich, jene, deren Aufenthalt in Kāśī ist und deren Herz an der Verehrung des Liṅga Freude hat, eben diese sind meine wandelnden Liṅgas; daran besteht kein Zweifel.

Word by Word

• येषाम्: of whom
• येषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• संस्थितिः: abiding, residence
• संस्थितिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु) + क्तिन् (प्रातिपदिक: संस्थिति)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• लिङ्गार्चनरतात्मनाम्: of those whose minds/souls delight in liṅga-worship
• लिङ्गार्चनरतात्मनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक) + रत (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमास; ‘लिङ्ग-अर्चन-रत-आत्मन्’ = whose selves are devoted to worship of the liṅga; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• एव: only, indeed
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (restrictive particle)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas, emblems
• लिङ्गानि: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• जङ्गमानि: moving, mobile
• जङ्गमानि: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण of ‘लिङ्गानि’

• न: no/not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘न संशयः’ = no doubt

Speaker

Viśveśa/Śiva (quoted within Skanda’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Internal Kāśīkhaṇḍa narratee (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī householder or ascetic performs liṅga-arcana; Śiva’s aura subtly overlays the devotee, indicating the devotee as a ‘moving liṅga’. Background shows narrow lanes leading to Viśveśvara.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Liṅga
• Viśveśa/Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotees devoted to liṅga worship in Kāśī are honored as Śiva’s own living embodiments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), as the place where devoted residents become ‘moving liṅgas’ of Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅgārcana—regular worship of the Śiva-liṅga—especially by those residing in Kāśī.