Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

आकारमविमुक्तस्य दृष्ट्वा ब्रह्माच्युतादयः । लिंगं संस्थापयामासुर्वसिष्ठाद्यास्तथषर्यः

Transliteration

ākāramavimuktasya dṛṣṭvā brahmācyutādayaḥ | liṃgaṃ saṃsthāpayāmāsurvasiṣṭhādyāstathaṣaryaḥ

Translation

Ayant contemplé la sainte manifestation d’Avimukta, Brahmā, Acyuta (Viṣṇu) et les autres établirent un Liṅga ; de même agirent les ṛṣis, à commencer par Vasiṣṭha.

Word by Word

• आकारम्: form/shape
• आकारम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ākāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अविमुक्तस्य: of Avimukta
• अविमुक्तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-vimukta (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund)

• ब्रह्म: Brahmā
• ब्रह्म: Karta (part of compound subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासे पूर्वपदम्

• अच्युतादयः: Acyuta and others
• अच्युतादयः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: acyuta (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘अच्युत-आदयः’ = ‘Acyuta and others’; ādi-प्रत्ययार्थक-समासः

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

• संस्थापयामासुः: installed/established
• संस्थापयामासुः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative) → संस्थापयति
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• वसिष्ठाद्याः: Vasiṣṭha and others
• वसिष्ठाद्याः: Karta (Subject, appositional)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasiṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘वसिष्ठ-आदयः’

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb ‘thus/likewise’)

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject, appositional)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-kṣetra; Avimukteśvara-liṅga (established by devas/ṛṣis after epiphany)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā and Viṣṇu, with Vasiṣṭha and other sages, witness a radiant ‘form of Avimukta’ and perform liṅga-pratiṣṭhā with Vedic rites—fire altar, water pots, flowers, and mantra gestures.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Acyuta (Viṣṇu)
• Vasiṣṭha
• Ṛṣis
• Avimukta
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the highest devas and seers honor Avimukta by establishing worship-symbols, affirming Kāśī’s supreme sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-kṣetra of Kāśī, connected to the establishment of the liṅga tradition there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-saṃsthāpanā/ स्थापना (installation) is mentioned in narrative form, without procedural details.