Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

पुनश्च देवी पप्रच्छ प्रणिपातपुरःसरम् । महिमानं महादेवं लिंगस्यास्य महामुने

Transliteration

punaśca devī papraccha praṇipātapuraḥsaram | mahimānaṃ mahādevaṃ liṃgasyāsya mahāmune

Translation

Puis, de nouveau, la Devī interrogea—après s’être d’abord prosternée—sur la grandeur de ce liṅga, ô grand sage, s’adressant à Mahādeva.

Word by Word

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: again)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine nominative singular)

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• पप्रच्छ: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√prach (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd person singular perfect)

• प्रणिपातपुरःसरम्: with prostration first
• प्रणिपातपुरःसरम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praṇipāta (प्रातिपदिक) + puraḥsara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘प्रणिपातः पुरःसरः यस्य तत्’ इति बहुव्रीह्यर्थे तत्पुरुषप्रायः; क्रियाविशेषणवत्—‘प्रणिपातं पूर्वं कृत्वा’ (neuter accusative singular used adverbially)

• महिमानम्: the greatness
• महिमानम्: Karma (Object of asking)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahimān (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (masculine accusative singular)

• महादेवम्: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• महादेवम्: Sambandha (Apposition to mahimānam: greatness of Mahādeva)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय—‘महान् देवः’ (masculine accusative singular)

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन (neuter genitive singular)

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive determiner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (genitive singular: ‘of this’)

• महामुने: O great sage
• महामुने: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; कर्मधारय—‘महान् मुनिः’ (vocative singular)

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda, Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Before the newly established shrine, the Goddess bows and then questions Mahādeva about the greatness of this particular liṅga; Śiva stands serene, ready to teach.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Umā/Pārvatī)
• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Liṅga (Ratneśvara, context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True inquiry into sacred matters is grounded in humility; reverence precedes receiving kṣetra and liṅga teachings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, through the unfolding explanation of Ratneśvara-liṅga’s greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praṇipāta (prostration) as the proper preface to questioning and receiving sacred instruction.