Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तत्रैव कुक्कुटेशाख्यं लिंगं वापीसमीपगम् । तस्य पूजनतः पुंसां कुटुंबं परिवर्धते

Transliteration

tatraiva kukkuṭeśākhyaṃ liṃgaṃ vāpīsamīpagam | tasya pūjanataḥ puṃsāṃ kuṭuṃbaṃ parivardhate

Translation

Là même, près de l’étang, se trouve le liṅga nommé Kukkuṭeśa. Par son culte, le foyer et la lignée d’un homme prospèrent et s’accroissent.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis)

• कुक्कुटेशाख्यम्: called ‘Kukkuṭeśa’
• कुक्कुटेशाख्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुक्कुटेश (प्रातिपदिक: कुक्कुट + ईश) + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘लिङ्गम्’); ‘कुक्कुटेश’ इति आख्या यस्य

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• वापी: pond/tank
• वापी: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• समीपगम्: situated near
• समीपगम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समीप (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘लिङ्गम्’); ‘समीपे गच्छति/स्थितम्’ = near

• तस्य: of it/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• पूजनतः: from worship
• पूजनतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (cause: ‘from/by worship’)

• पुंसाम्: of men
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस्/पुम्स् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• कुटुम्बम्: family/household
• कुटुम्बम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुटुम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• परिवर्धते: increases
• परिवर्धते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + वर्ध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kukkuṭeśa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vātāpitāpana

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small liṅga shrine named Kukkuṭeśa beside a pond; a householder couple offers flowers and lamp, praying for family prosperity.

Characters & Entities

• Kukkuṭeśa
• Jyeṣṭheśvara (context)
• Vāpī (pond/tank)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaiva worship in Kāśī supports not only liberation-oriented devotion but also righteous worldly stability—family welfare aligned with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kukkuṭeśa liṅga, located near a sacred pond (vāpī) in the Jyeṣṭheśvara area of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā (formal worship) of Kukkuṭeśa for the flourishing of one’s household.