Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

तत्पश्चिमे च शैलेशः परनिर्वाणकामदः । कोटीश्वरं तु तद्याम्यां लिंगं शाश्वतसिद्धिदम्

Transliteration

tatpaścime ca śaileśaḥ paranirvāṇakāmadaḥ | koṭīśvaraṃ tu tadyāmyāṃ liṃgaṃ śāśvatasiddhidam

Translation

To its west is Śaileśa, who grants the longing for supreme nirvāṇa. And to its south is the liṅga Koṭīśvara, bestowing everlasting spiritual accomplishment.

Word by Word

• तत्: in that (place)
• तत्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (locative qualifier)

• पश्चिमे: in the west
• पश्चिमे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शैलेशः: Śaileśa (Lord of the mountain)
• शैलेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘शैलस्य ईशः’ (genitive-tatpurusha)

• परनिर्वाणकामदः: bestowing the desire for supreme liberation
• परनिर्वाणकामदः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर + निर्वाण + कामद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; ‘परस्य निर्वाणस्य कामदः’ (determinative)

• कोटीश्वरम्: Koṭīśvara
• कोटीश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘कोटीनाम् ईश्वरः’

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• तत्: in that (direction)
• तत्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• याम्यां: in the southern quarter
• याम्यां: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; दक्षिणदिक्-वाचक

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

• शाश्वतसिद्धिदम्: granting eternal success
• शाश्वतसिद्धिदम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वत + सिद्धि + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; ‘शाश्वतीं सिद्धिं ददाति’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaileśa and Koṭīśvara (as directional shrines)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī sacred map rendered as a maṇḍala: the pilgrim stands at a central node, with Śaileśa indicated to the west on a rocky rise and Koṭīśvara liṅga to the south, both glowing with subtle ash-white radiance; Ganga’s presence implied by steps and lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Śaileśa
• Koṭīśvara
• Śiva
• Nirvāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s directional shrines are taught as graded gateways—cultivating liberation-desire and granting enduring spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaileśa (to the west) and Koṭīśvara liṅga (to the south) within the Kāśī tīrtha network.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied darśana/pūjā of the named liṅgas; no detailed procedure is stated in this verse.