Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

प्राप्य रत्नावली गौरि सा जन्मांतरवासनाम् । रत्नेश्वरस्य लिंगस्य जग्राह नियमं शुभम्

Transliteration

prāpya ratnāvalī gauri sā janmāṃtaravāsanām | ratneśvarasya liṃgasya jagrāha niyamaṃ śubham

Translation

Devenue Ratnāvalī, ô Gaurī, elle retrouva l’empreinte latente d’une naissance antérieure et adopta un niyama béni, une observance sacrée tournée vers le Liṅga de Ratneśvara.

Word by Word

• प्राप्य: having obtained
• प्राप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (क्त्वान्त) — Absolutive/gerund

• रत्नावली: Ratnāvalī (name)
• रत्नावली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + आवली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Nominative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रत्नानाम् आवली)

• गौरि: O Gaurī
• गौरि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — Vocative singular

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• जन्मान्तरवासनाम्: the latent impression from a previous birth
• जन्मान्तरवासनाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + वासना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Accusative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जन्मान्तरस्य वासना)

• रत्नेश्वरस्य: of Ratneśvara
• रत्नेश्वरस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन — Genitive singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रत्नानाम् ईश्वरः)

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• जग्राह: accepted/took up
• जग्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्ण), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Perfect, 3rd person singular

• नियमम्: a vow/observance
• नियमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Accusative singular; विशेषणम् (नियमम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya; vocative ‘Gauri’ indicates address within narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ratneśvara

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Gaurī (addressed) and/or the sage within the narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ratnāvalī, newly aware of past-life pull, stands before a radiant jewel-like liṅga; she takes a vow (niyama) with folded hands, while her companions witness. The liṅga gleams like a gem, lamps and bilva leaves nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Ratnāvalī
• Gaurī
• Ratneśvara
• Liṅga
• Niyama (vow)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Past-life devotional tendencies can reawaken and mature into firm vows directed toward a sacred liṅga and holy place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ratneśvara Liṅga in Kāśī is explicitly central, presented as a focus for auspicious observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Taking up a niyama (vow/observance) specifically connected to Ratneśvara-liṅga worship is stated.