Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

यद्यप्येवं तथापीश विशेषं वक्तुमर्हसि । काश्यामनादिसिद्धानि कानि लिंगानि शंकर

Transliteration

yadyapyevaṃ tathāpīśa viśeṣaṃ vaktumarhasi | kāśyāmanādisiddhāni kāni liṃgāni śaṃkara

Translation

Même s’il en est ainsi, ô Seigneur, Tu dois exposer en détail la distinction. Ô Śaṅkara, quels liṅgas à Kāśī sont établis depuis le sans-commencement (anādi-siddha) ?

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/शर्त-निपात (conditional particle)

• अपि: even though
• अपि: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (concessive)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• तथा: so, in that way
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• अपि: still, also
• अपि: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• ईश: O Lord
• ईश: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• विशेषम्: a particular detail
• विशेषम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• वक्तुम्: to speak
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive)

• अर्हसि: you ought, you are fit
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• अनादि-सिद्धानि: beginningless and established (eternal)
• अनादि-सिद्धानि: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनादि (प्रातिपदिक) + सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (अनादि च तानि सिद्धानि च)

• कानि: which
• कानि: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas
• लिङ्गानि: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• शंकर: O Śaṅkara
• शंकर: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Anādi-siddha liṅgas of Kāśī (category)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A respectful questioner addresses Śaṅkara in Kāśī; behind them a map-like vista of shrines, with certain liṅgas highlighted as ancient, self-luminous points—‘anādi-siddha’ nodes in the sacred city.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Kāśī
• Anādi-siddha liṅgas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places have layers of sanctity; Devī seeks the most primordial (anādi-siddha) manifestations to guide focused devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, with emphasis on its beginningless, eternally established Śiva-liṅgas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse sets up an inquiry that typically leads to guidance on which liṅgas to worship.