Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

यां सिद्धिं यः समीहेत स तामाप्नोति तन्नतेः । हिरण्यकशिपोर्लिंगं गणेशात्पश्चिमे ततः

Transliteration

yāṃ siddhiṃ yaḥ samīheta sa tāmāpnoti tannateḥ | hiraṇyakaśiporliṃgaṃ gaṇeśātpaścime tataḥ

Translation

Whatever siddhi a person longs for, he attains it by bowing there (to Siddhivināyaka). To the west of that Gaṇeśa is the liṅga of Hiraṇyakaśipu.

Word by Word

• याम्: which (that)
• याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सिद्धिम्: success, attainment
• सिद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• यः: whoever
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• समीहेत: may desire / may strive for
• समीहेत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-ईह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ताम्: that (same)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; विशेषण (नतेः प्रति)

• नतेः: of the bowing/salutation
• नतेः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• हिरण्यकशिपोः: of Hiraṇyakaśipu
• हिरण्यकशिपोः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्यकशिपु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; (अत्र निर्देश्य-वस्तु)

• गणेशात्: from Gaṇeśa (from Gaṇeśa’s place)
• गणेशात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• पश्चिमे: in the west
• पश्चिमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; दिक्-विशेषण (locative: in the west)

• ततः: thereafter / from there
• ततः: Avyaya (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—अव्यय-प्रयोग (adverb: thereafter/from there)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Siddhivināyaka; Hiraṇyakaśipu-liṅga (west)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees bow at a vermilion-smeared Siddhivināyaka idol; behind/left (westward) a small liṅga shrine labeled Hiraṇyakaśipu. The composition contrasts Gaṇeśa’s approachable grace with the austere liṅga sanctum.

Characters & Entities

• Siddhivināyaka (Gaṇeśa)
• Hiraṇyakaśipu
• Hiraṇyakaśipu-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility and surrender (namaskāra) at Kāśī’s Vināyaka shrines is praised as a direct cause of ‘siddhi’—fulfilled aims aligned with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Siddhivināyaka and, to his west, the Hiraṇyakaśipu-liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nati/namaskāra (bowing) to Siddhivināyaka for desired accomplishments.