Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

यत्र कामदुघा नित्यं स्नपयेन्मधुधारया । स्वदुग्धया स्वयं भक्त्या विश्वेशं लिंगरूपिणम्

Transliteration

yatra kāmadughā nityaṃ snapayenmadhudhārayā | svadugdhayā svayaṃ bhaktyā viśveśaṃ liṃgarūpiṇam

Translation

There the wish-granting cow daily bathes Viśveśvara—manifest as the Liṅga—with streams of honey and her own milk, in pure devotion.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (where)

• कामदुघा: the wish-fulfilling cow
• कामदुघा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + दुह् (धातु) → दुघा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (कामं दुह्यति इति = wish-milking cow)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्यम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: always)

• स्नपयेत्: would bathe/anoint
• स्नपयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्नप् (धातु, causative sense)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोजकभाव (cause to bathe/anoint)

• मधुधारया: with a stream of honey
• मधुधारया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक) + धारा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मधोः धारा)

• स्वदुग्धया: with her own milk
• स्वदुग्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + दुग्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य दुग्धम्)

• स्वयम्: herself
• स्वयम्: Karta-visheshana (Emphatic/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: herself)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• विश्वेशम्: Viśveśa (Lord of the universe)
• विश्वेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• लिङ्गरूपिणम्: having the form of a liṅga
• लिङ्गरूपिणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लिङ्गस्य रूपं यस्य)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśvara (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Before the liṅga of Viśveśvara, the celestial cow Kāmadhenu stands with serene eyes; from her udders flows pure milk, and alongside streams of honey cascade as abhiṣeka, while devotees and priests chant and the sanctum glows.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśvara
• Śiva-liṅga
• Kāmadughā (wish-fulfilling cow)
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the divine beings serve Śiva with humility; devotion is shown through direct, loving ritual service.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī—Viśveśvara’s liṅga is the focal sanctum praised in this passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abhiṣeka of the liṅga with honey and milk (madhu, dugdha), presented as a daily act of worship.