Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

अथवा प्रतिभूतं च क्षेत्रसिद्धिमभीप्सुभिः । तत्तत्तीर्थकृतस्नानस्तत्तल्लिंगकृतार्चनः

Transliteration

athavā pratibhūtaṃ ca kṣetrasiddhimabhīpsubhiḥ | tattattīrthakṛtasnānastattalliṃgakṛtārcanaḥ

Translation

Or else, as an effective means, those who desire fulfillment within the sacred field of Kāśī should bathe at each respective tīrtha and perform worship at each respective liṅga.

Word by Word

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Discourse (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• प्रतिभूतम्: a guarantor/witness
• प्रतिभूतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिभूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘प्रतिभूत’ = साक्षी/प्रतिनिधि/प्रमाणभूत (guarantor/witness)

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

• क्षेत्रसिद्धिम्: attainment/success of the sacred field
• क्षेत्रसिद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्षेत्रस्य सिद्धिः)

• अभीप्सुभिः: by those who desire
• अभीप्सुभिः: Karana/Agent-instrumental (तृतीया-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभि + ईप्सु (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √आप्/ईप्स् इच्छायाम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; ‘ईप्सु’ (desirous) बहुव्रीह्यर्थे कर्तृवाचकः; करण/सहकारि-निर्देशः

• तत्तत्: each respective
• तत्तत्: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; पुनरुक्त-प्रयोगः (each respective)

• तीर्थकृतस्नानः: one who has bathed at each (respective) tīrtha
• तीर्थकृतस्नानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ) + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः—‘तीर्थे कृतं स्नानं येन सः’ (कृतस्नान = कृतं स्नानम्)

• तत्तत्: each respective
• तत्तत्: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; पुनरुक्त-प्रयोगः (each respective)

• लिङ्गकृतार्चनः: one who has worshipped each (respective) liṅga
• लिङ्गकृतार्चनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ) + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘लिङ्गे कृतम् अर्चनं येन सः’ (one who has performed worship of the liṅga)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly as Skanda teaching Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī tīrtha-snāna and liṅga-arcana sequence (as upāya for kṣetra-siddhi)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mapped sequence of Kāśī sites: the pilgrim alternates between river/kuṇḍ bathing and offering bilva, flowers, and water to liṅgas in small shrines; each stop is shown as a vignette.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• tīrtha
• liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, spiritual attainment is supported by combining purification (snāna) with devotion (arcana) at the city’s sacred nodes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Multiple Kāśī tīrthas and Śiva-liṅgas collectively, presenting Kāśī as a mapped sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform snāna at each designated tīrtha and arcana at each corresponding liṅga for kṣetra-siddhi.