Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

एकदाराध्य रत्नेशं ममैतल्लिंगमुत्तमम् । समानर्च च सा बाला रम्यया गीतमालया

Transliteration

ekadārādhya ratneśaṃ mamaitalliṃgamuttamam | samānarca ca sā bālā ramyayā gītamālayā

Translation

«Après avoir adoré Ratneśa une seule fois —ce Liṅga suprême qui est le Mien—, la jeune fille lui rendit de nouveau un culte égal, offrant une belle guirlande de chants.»

Word by Word

• ekadā: once
• ekadā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eka + dā (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: 'once/at one time')

• ārādhya: having worshipped
• ārādhya: Kriya (पूर्वकर्म/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√rādh (राध् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-तुमुनादि-न; ल्यप्/क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), 'having worshipped/propitiated'

• ratneśam: Ratneśa (Lord of jewels)
• ratneśam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratna + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ratnānām īśaḥ)

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• etat: this
• etat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (liṅgam इत्यस्य)

• liṅgam: liṅga (emblem)
• liṅgam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• uttamam: excellent, best
• uttamam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (liṅgam इत्यस्य)

• samānarca: worship (together)
• samānarca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√arc (अर्च् धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यम/प्रथम?; पाठानुसार 'सम्-आनर्च' = सम् + आनर्च (लङ्/लिट्?) इति सन्दिग्ध; अर्थतः विधिलिङ्/लोट्: 'worship (together)'; एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• bālā: the girl
• bālā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ramyayā: with charming
• ramyayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ramya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; विशेषण (gītamālayā इत्यस्य)

• gītamālayā: with a garland/series of songs
• gītamālayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gīta + mālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (gītānāṃ mālā)

Speaker

Śiva (Ratneśvara, speaking from within the liṅga) [deduced from context: liṅgasthaḥ in following verse]

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ratneśa-liṅga (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Umā (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young maiden stands before a radiant liṅga named Ratneśa, offering not flowers but a ‘garland’ of sung hymns; the sanctum glows with jewel-like light, suggesting the ‘ratna’ quality.

Characters & Entities

• Ratneśa
• Ratneśvara-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a single, sincere act of liṅga-worship—especially with heartfelt praise—draws Śiva’s grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, specifically the Ratneśvara/Ratneśa Liṅga shrine celebrated in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅgārcana (worship of the liṅga), here enhanced through gīta/stotra—devotional singing as an offering.