Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

वृद्धकालेश्वरं नाम लिंगमेतन्महीपते । जानीह्यनादिसंसिद्धं निमित्तं किंतु वै भवान्

Transliteration

vṛddhakāleśvaraṃ nāma liṃgametanmahīpate | jānīhyanādisaṃsiddhaṃ nimittaṃ kiṃtu vai bhavān

Translation

This liṅga is named Vṛddhakāleśvara, O king. Know it to be beginningless and eternally established; you are only the occasion, the instrument for its manifestation here.

Word by Word

• वृद्धकालेश्वरम्: (called) Vṛddhakāleśvara
• वृद्धकालेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध-काल-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; लिङ्गस्य नाम (proper name as object)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Naming/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नामार्थक-अव्यय (particle meaning ‘by name/called’)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेष्य-निर्देशक (this)

• महीपते: O king
• महीपते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही-पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• जानीहि: know (you)
• जानीहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अनादिसंसिद्धम्: perfected from beginningless time
• अनादिसंसिद्धम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनादि-संसिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; लिङ्गम्/वृद्धकालेश्वरम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• निमित्तम्: instrument/cause
• निमित्तम्: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्मसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate noun)

• किंतु: but
• किंतु: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किंतु (अव्यय)
• Form: व्यतिरेक/विरोधार्थक-अव्यय (but/however)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis/assurance)

• भवान्: you (honored one)
• भवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; आदरार्थक-सर्वनाम

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya; address to a king appears within the narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vṛddhakāleśvara

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king stands before an ancient, weathered yet radiant liṅga labeled Vṛddhakāleśvara; a sage explains its anādi nature. The liṅga appears rooted into the earth, with subtle cosmic motifs (stars/mandala) indicating timeless establishment.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛddhakāleśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred icons in Kāśī are portrayed as timeless realities; human agency is secondary—merely instrumental.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Vṛddhakāleśvara Liṅga in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit reverence toward the Vṛddhakāleśvara Liṅga; explicit rituals appear in subsequent verses.