Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

पांसुक्रीडनसक्तोपि कुर्याल्लिंगं रजोमयम् । शाद्वलैः कोमलतृणैः पूजयेच्च स कौतुकम्

Transliteration

pāṃsukrīḍanasaktopi kuryālliṃgaṃ rajomayam | śādvalaiḥ komalatṛṇaiḥ pūjayecca sa kautukam

Translation

Even while absorbed in playing with sand, he would fashion a liṅga out of dust, and with fresh tender grasses he would worship it—doing so with joyful eagerness.

Word by Word

• पांसुक्रीडनसक्तः: attached to playing in dust
• पांसुक्रीडनसक्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पांसु+क्रीडन+सक्त (प्रातिपदिक; सक्त = √सञ्ज्/√सज् क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (पांसुक्रीडने सक्तः)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपवादार्थक अव्यय (even)

• कुर्यात्: should make
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदी

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रजोमयम्: made of dust
• रजोमयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रजस्+मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (रजसा मयम् = made of dust)

• शाद्वलैः: with grasses/turf
• शाद्वलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाद्वल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• कोमलतृणैः: with tender blades of grass
• कोमलतृणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोमल+तृण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (कोमलानि तृणानि)

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदी

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (and)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कौतुकम्: playfully / with delight
• कौतुकम्: Kriya-visheshana (Manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (in play/with delight)

Speaker

Skanda (narrative voice, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A child playing in sand pauses to shape a small liṅga from dust; he decorates it with tender green grasses and worships with bright, eager eyes.

Characters & Entities

• Harikeśa
• Liṅga
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva accepts sincere devotion even through the simplest offerings; purity of intent outweighs material grandeur.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The account belongs to Kāśī’s Nādeśvara-centered māhātmya, illustrating Śiva-bhakti in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Making a simple earth/dust liṅga and offering tender grass in worship (liṅga-pūjā) is described.