Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 120

Devanagari script

काश्यां लिंगप्रतिष्ठायैः कृताऽत्र सुकृतात्मभिः । सर्वे धर्माः कृतास्तैस्तु त एव पुरुषार्थिनः

Transliteration

kāśyāṃ liṃgapratiṣṭhāyaiḥ kṛtā'tra sukṛtātmabhiḥ | sarve dharmāḥ kṛtāstaistu ta eva puruṣārthinaḥ

Translation

In Kāśī, by establishing a liṅga—done here by souls rich in merit—all dharmas are as though performed by them; they alone truly attain the human goals of life.

Word by Word

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; locative singular

• लिङ्ग-प्रतिष्ठायैः: by (means of) establishing the liṅga
• लिङ्ग-प्रतिष्ठायैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग-प्रतिष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; instrumental plural; समासः—तत्पुरुष (लिङ्गस्य प्रतिष्ठा)

• कृताः: were done/accomplished
• कृताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त, √कृ धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; PPP used predicatively with implied 'सन्ति'

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• सुकृतात्मभिः: by the virtuous (those of meritorious nature)
• सुकृतात्मभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुकृत-आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; instrumental plural; समासः—बहुव्रीहि (सुकृतः आत्मा येषाम्)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; nominative plural

• धर्माः: duties/merits (dharmas)
• धर्माः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; nominative plural

• कृताः: were performed
• कृताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त, √कृ धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; PPP predicative

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; pronoun instrumental plural

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; pronoun nominative plural

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

• पुरुषार्थिनः: seekers of the goals of life
• पुरुषार्थिनः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष-अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; nominative plural; समासः—तत्पुरुष (पुरुषार्थं अर्थयते/इच्छति)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa teaching)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (liṅga-pratiṣṭhā-māhātmya)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A consecration scene in Kāśī: priests perform abhiṣeka over a newly installed liṅga, with devotees offering flowers; the city’s ghāṭs and temple spires glow; a subtle visual motif of the four puruṣārthas (dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa) encircles the liṅga as symbolic emblems.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Liṅga (Śiva-liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī magnifies dharma: establishing a Śiva-liṅga there is treated as a comprehensive fulfillment of dharmic merit and life’s aims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), celebrated as a supreme field of merit where sacred acts yield amplified fruit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (ritual installation/establishment of a Śiva-liṅga) in Kāśī.