Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

जैगीषव्येश्वरं लिंगं गोपनीयं प्रयत्नतः । कलौ कलुषबुद्धीनां पुरतश्च विशेषतः

Transliteration

jaigīṣavyeśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ gopanīyaṃ prayatnataḥ | kalau kaluṣabuddhīnāṃ purataśca viśeṣataḥ

Translation

Le Liṅga de Jaigīṣavyeśvara doit être soigneusement tenu caché, surtout en l’âge de Kali, et plus encore devant ceux dont l’esprit est souillé.

Word by Word

• जैगीषव्येश्वरम्: Lord (Īśvara) of Jaigīṣavya
• जैगीषव्येश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जैगीषव्य-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जैगीषव्यस्य ईश्वरः)

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

• गोपनीयम्: to be kept secret
• गोपनीयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुप् (धातु) + अनीय (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (अनीय-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम्)

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort; carefully
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• कलुषबुद्धीनाम्: of those with impure minds
• कलुषबुद्धीनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलुष-बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (कलुषा बुद्धिः येषाम्)

• पुरतः: in front; before
• पुरतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-निबद्ध)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश-स्थानवाचक अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jaigīṣavyeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A tapasvin addressed as 'tapodhana' (likely Jaigīṣavya or the hymn-composer)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A secluded Kāśī alley-shrine with a small liṅga veiled by cloth; a vigilant ascetic gestures for silence while the Ganga’s glow is distant.

Characters & Entities

• Jaigīṣavyeśvara Liṅga
• Kali-yuga
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred power is to be safeguarded; unfit or malicious intent in Kali-yuga warrants discretion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jaigīṣavyeśvara Liṅga in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Maintain secrecy/protection of the Liṅga’s whereabouts or access, particularly from the impure-minded.