Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

इति श्रुत्वा नरपतेर्वाक्यंप्राह जटाधरः । सत्यमुक्तं त्वयैकं हि लिंगनाम न वेत्सि यत्

Transliteration

iti śrutvā narapatervākyaṃprāha jaṭādharaḥ | satyamuktaṃ tvayaikaṃ hi liṃganāma na vetsi yat

Translation

Hearing the king’s words, the matted-haired ascetic replied: “One thing you have indeed spoken truly—but you do not know the Name of the Liṅga.”

Word by Word

• इति: thus; saying
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः (quotative particle/इत्यर्थक-निपात)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Absolutive; prior action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); श्रु-धातोः; ‘having heard’

• नरपतेः: of the king
• नरपतेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: narapati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; नर+पति (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘men’s lord’)

• वाक्यम्: speech; statement
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√ah (धातु: अह्/आह)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• जटाधरः: the matted-haired one
• जटाधरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jaṭādhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; जटा+धर (उपपद-तत्पुरुषः: ‘one who bears matted hair’)

• सत्यम्: truth; true
• सत्यम्: Karma (Predicative complement/कर्मसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (अव्यक्त-प्रयोग; here as predicate ‘true’)

• उक्तम्: said; spoken
• उक्तम्: Kriya (Predicative participle/क्रियाविशेष)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु) + क्त (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘said/uttered’

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; द्वितीया? (No) तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; ‘by you’

• एकम्: one (thing)
• एकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying an implied ‘thing/point’)

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• लिङ्गनाम: the name of the liṅga
• लिङ्गनाम: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga + nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; लिङ्गस्य नाम (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• वेत्सि: you know
• वेत्सि: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यत्: which; that (which)
• यत्: Karma (Relative object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

Speaker

Jaṭādhara (an ascetic/tapasvī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A matted-haired ascetic (jaṭādhara) faces a king; the ascetic’s raised hand and steady gaze signal a hidden truth about the liṅga’s sacred name, with Kāśī’s temple silhouettes in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Narapati (King)
• Jaṭādhara (Ascetic)
• Śiva (implied via Liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion requires not only reverence but also right knowledge—especially of Śiva’s Liṅga and its sacred identity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where Śiva’s Liṅgas and their names are central to the Mahātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it emphasizes knowing the Liṅga’s sacred name and identity.