Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

यानीह संति लिंगानि तानि सर्वाण्यसंशयम् । निर्वाणकारणान्येव स्वयंभून्यपि तान्यपि

Transliteration

yānīha saṃti liṃgāni tāni sarvāṇyasaṃśayam | nirvāṇakāraṇānyeva svayaṃbhūnyapi tānyapi

Translation

Whatever liṅgas exist here, all of them—without doubt—are causes of nirvāṇa (final release); and among them are also self-manifest (svayaṃbhū) liṅgas.

Word by Word

• यानि: which (things)
• यानि: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Locative/Setting)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• सन्ति: are, exist
• सन्ति: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• तानि: those
• तानि: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; निर्देश (demonstrative)

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• असंशयम्: without doubt
• असंशयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असंशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) नपुंसक-आकारान्त-प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषण

• निर्वाण-कारणानि: causes of liberation
• निर्वाण-कारणानि: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (निर्वाणस्य कारणानि)

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) अवधारणार्थक

• स्वयंभूनि: self-manifested
• स्वयंभूनि: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वयंभू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• तानि: those
• तानि: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• अपि: too, also
• अपि: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

Speaker

Narrative voice (context: Devī–Śiva dialogue in Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-liṅga-samūha (the liṅgas of Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic Kāśī with countless small liṅga-shrines glowing like lamps; among them a few svayaṃbhū liṅgas emerge from the earth/rock, self-radiant, while devotees circumambulate in silence.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Śiva-liṅga
• Nirvāṇa
• Svayaṃbhū

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, worship and contact with Śiva’s liṅgas is intrinsically liberating—Kāśī is framed as a mokṣa-kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), especially its many Śiva-liṅgas, including svayaṃbhū manifestations.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, reverence of the liṅgas (darśana/pūjā) is encouraged, though no step-by-step rite is listed in this verse.