Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

गणनादिवसादवार्ङ्ममभक्तजनैःप्रिये । प्रतिष्ठितानि यानीह तेषां संख्या न विद्यते

Transliteration

gaṇanādivasādavārṅmamabhaktajanaiḥpriye | pratiṣṭhitāni yānīha teṣāṃ saṃkhyā na vidyate

Translation

Bien-aimée, dès le jour même où l’on commença le dénombrement, mes dévots n’ont cessé d’établir des liṅga ici ; ainsi, le nombre de ceux qui furent consacrés en ce lieu n’est pas connu.

Word by Word

• गणना: counting; enumeration
• गणना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दिवसात्: from the day
• दिवसात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Ablative singular)

• अवार्ङ्मम्: uninterrupted; not turning back
• अवार्ङ्मम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-वार्ङ्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-समासभाव: ‘not turned back/ not reversed’ (sense: uninterrupted/continuous)

• अभक्तजनैः: by non-devotees
• अभक्तजनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-भक्त-जन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘भक्ताः न’ इति नञ्-तत्पुरुष: by non-devotee people

• प्रिये: O dear one
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन (Vocative)

• प्रतिष्ठितानि: established
• प्रतिष्ठितानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिष्ठित (कृदन्त; √स्था धातु with प्रति-उपसर्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘established’

• यानि: which (things)
• यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• तेषाम्: of those
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• संख्या: number
• संख्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• विद्यते: exists; is known
• विद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (धातु; ‘to be/ to exist’ in passive-like usage)
• Form: लट् लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; ‘exists/is known’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī/Avimukta (liṅga-pratiṣṭhā tradition)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī (priye)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva tells Pārvatī that since counting began, devotees have continuously established liṅgas in Kāśī, making their number unknowable—suggesting a timeless stream of pilgrims and consecrations.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Bhakta (devotees)
• Śiva-liṅga
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Continuous devotion across ages makes Kāśī’s sanctity ever-expanding; the kṣetra is shaped by unbroken bhakti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra broadly, as the perennial home of devotees’ consecrations.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā is referenced as an ongoing devotional act, but no procedural details are given.