Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

मुने स्कंदेश्वरं लिंगं महादेवस्य पश्चिमे । तल्लिंगपूजनान्नृणां भवेन्मम सलोकता

Transliteration

mune skaṃdeśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ mahādevasya paścime | talliṃgapūjanānnṛṇāṃ bhavenmama salokatā

Translation

O sage, to the west of Mahādeva stands the liṅga called Skandeśvara. By worshipping that liṅga, people attain residence in my own world (Skanda’s realm).

Word by Word

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• स्कंदेश्वरम्: Skandeśvara (lord associated with Skanda)
• स्कंदेश्वरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्कन्द + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे (लिङ्गम् प्रति) द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—स्कन्देश्वरः = स्कन्दस्य ईश्वरः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); विशेषण

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• महादेवस्य: of Mahādeva
• महादेवस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• पश्चिमे: in the west (of)
• पश्चिमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; दिक्-वाचक (to the west)

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

• लिङ्ग: of the liṅga
• लिङ्ग: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (लिङ्गपूजनात्)

• पूजनात्: from worship of the liṅga
• पूजनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; समासः—लिङ्गपूजनात् = लिङ्गस्य पूजनात् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• भवेत्: would be / would occur
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सलोकता: dwelling in the same world (as me)
• सलोकता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलोकता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Skandeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A sage (muni)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Śiva-liṅga shrine labeled Skandeśvara, with Skanda’s presence implied—peacock emblem, spear (śakti/vel) motif, and a protective aura. Pilgrims offer bilva and lamps; a sage is addressed in the narrative frame.

Characters & Entities

• Skandeśvara liṅga
• Mahādeva
• Skanda (speaker)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion at Kāśī’s liṅgas is taught to yield not only merit but intimate divine proximity—sharing the deity’s ‘loka’ (salokya).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Skandeśvara liṅga, situated west of a shrine referred to as Mahādeva in this passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā (worship) of the Skandeśvara liṅga to attain salokya in Skanda’s realm.