Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

कंदुकेशं महालिंगं काश्यां यैर्न समर्चितम् । कथं तेषां भवनीशौ स्यातां सर्वेप्सितप्रदौ

Transliteration

kaṃdukeśaṃ mahāliṃgaṃ kāśyāṃ yairna samarcitam | kathaṃ teṣāṃ bhavanīśau syātāṃ sarvepsitapradau

Translation

Ceux qui n’ont pas honoré comme il se doit le grand liṅga Kandukeśa à Kāśī, comment Bhavānī et Īśa pourraient-ils pour eux devenir dispensateurs de tous les bienfaits désirés ?

Word by Word

• कंदुकेशम्: Kandukeśa (Lord of Kanduka)
• कंदुकेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कंदुकेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कंदुकस्य ईशः)

• महालिङ्गम्: the great liṅga
• महालिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् लिङ्गम्)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• यैः: by whom (those who)
• यैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धे/हेतौ—‘by whom/with whom’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• समर्चितम्: (has been) duly worshipped
• समर्चितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे—‘(it) was worshipped’

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• भवनीशौ: Bhavānī and Īśa (Pārvatī and Śiva)
• भवनीशौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवानी + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), द्विवचन; समासः—इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (भवानी च ईशश्च)

• स्याताम्: could be / would become
• स्याताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन

• सर्वेप्सितप्रदौ: granting all desired (boons)
• सर्वेप्सितप्रदौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + ईप्सित + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), द्विवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषाम् ईप्सितस्य प्रदौ)

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextually Skanda in Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kandukeśa / Kandukeśvara Liṅga (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa interlocutor (explicit in v.44)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Kāśī stands before the dark stone liṅga of Kandukeśa, offering bilva leaves and water; behind, Bhavānī and Īśa are envisioned as the unseen bestowers of boons, with the ghāṭs and lamps of Kāśī suggested in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Kandukeśa
• Kāśī
• Bhavānī
• Īśa (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Grace is linked with active devotion; neglecting sacred worship in a celebrated kṣetra undermines one’s claim to divine boons.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kandukeśa/Kandukeśvara mahāliṅga in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Samarcana/arcana—proper worship of the Kandukeśa liṅga in Kāśī.