Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

लिंगं संस्थाप्य सुमहन्नक्षत्रेश्वर संज्ञितम् । वारणायास्तटे रम्ये संगमेश्वरसन्निधौ

Transliteration

liṃgaṃ saṃsthāpya sumahannakṣatreśvara saṃjñitam | vāraṇāyāstaṭe ramye saṃgameśvarasannidhau

Translation

Ils établirent un très grand Liṅga nommé Nakṣatreśvara, sur la belle rive de la rivière Vāraṇā, auprès de la sainte présence de Saṅgameśvara.

Word by Word

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• संस्थाप्य: having स्थापित/installed
• संस्थाप्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + सम्-उपसर्ग (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘सम्-स्था’—‘having स्थापित/established’

• सुमहत्: very great
• सुमहत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु- (उपसर्ग/उपपद) + महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• नक्षत्रेश्वर: Nakṣatreśvara (Lord of the Nakṣatras)
• नक्षत्रेश्वर: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नक्षत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘नक्षत्राणाम् ईश्वरः’)

• संज्ञितम्: named/called
• संज्ञितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-ज्ञा (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘called/named’

• वारणायाः: of (the river) Vāraṇā
• वारणायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• तटे: on the bank
• तटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• रम्ये: beautiful
• रम्ये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• संगमेश्वरसन्निधौ: in the presence of Saṅgameśvara
• संगमेश्वरसन्निधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संगम (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + सन्निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (संगमेश्वरस्य सन्निधौ) षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समासः

Speaker

Narrator (Gaṇas’ account)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nakṣatreśvara (near Saṅgameśvara on Vāraṇā-taṭa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages / or a primary interlocutor within Kāśī-khaṇḍa frame (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a verdant riverbank of the Vāraṇā, sages/attendants install a towering, radiant liṅga labeled Nakṣatreśvara, with Saṅgameśvara’s shrine nearby; water glints, lamps and flowers surround the pedestal, and the confluence atmosphere feels charged with sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Nakṣatreśvara Liṅga
• Vāraṇā River
• Saṅgameśvara
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred power is anchored through installation of the Liṅga; geography becomes theology in Kāśī’s landscape.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nakṣatreśvara Liṅga at the Vāraṇā riverbank, near Saṅgameśvara in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (installation of a Śiva-liṅga) is described; associated worship is implied.