Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

एवमादीनि लिंगानि अयुतार्धानि कुंभज । स्मरणाद्दर्शनात्स्पर्शादर्चनान्नमनात्स्तुतेः

Transliteration

evamādīni liṃgāni ayutārdhāni kuṃbhaja | smaraṇāddarśanātsparśādarcanānnamanātstuteḥ

Translation

«Ô Kuṃbhaja (Agastya)», ainsi et de bien d’autres façons, les liṅga sont innombrables ; en les rappelant, en les voyant, en les touchant, en les vénérant, en se prosternant et en les louant, on acquiert un mérite propice.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha/Adverbial (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/in this manner)

• आदीनि: and others; beginning with
• आदीनि: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; 'आदि' (etc.)—विशेषणरूपेण (beginning with/and others)

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas
• लिङ्गानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अयुतार्धानि: five thousand (in number)
• अयुतार्धानि: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अयुत-अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक; अयुत + अर्ध)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-सम्भाव्य-तत्पुरुषः (अयुतस्य अर्धम् = half of ten-thousand = 5000; तद्वत्)

• कुंभज: O Kumbhaja (Agastya)
• कुंभज: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुंभज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'कुंभज' = घटज/कुम्भसम्भव (अगस्त्य)

• स्मरणात्: from remembering; by remembrance
• स्मरणात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/हेतु), एकवचन

• दर्शनात्: from seeing; by दर्शन
• दर्शनात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्पर्शात्: from touching; by touch
• स्पर्शात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अर्चनात्: from worship; by पूजा
• अर्चनात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नमनात्: from bowing; by obeisance
• नमनात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्तुतेः: from praise; by hymn
• स्तुतेः: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र पञ्चमी-अर्थे (स्तुतेः = from praise)

Speaker

Skanda (addressing Agastya/Kuṃbhaja)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī) — innumerable liṅgas

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Kuṃbhaja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agastya (Kuṃbhaja) listens as a teacher enumerates six devotional acts; a montage shows a devotee remembering (eyes closed), seeing the liṅga, touching it, offering worship, bowing, and singing praise—each panel set against Kāśī’s temple silhouettes.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya (Kuṃbhaja)
• Śiva-liṅgas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion to Śiva in Kāśī bears fruit through multiple modes—memory, darśana, touch, worship, reverence, and praise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), presented as containing innumerable Śiva-liṅgas accessible to pilgrims.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Smaraṇa (remembrance), darśana (seeing), sparśa (touch), arcana (worship), namana (bowing), and stuti (praise) are named as meritorious devotional acts.