Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

मुने चतुर्दशैतानि महांत्यायतनानि वै । एतेषामपि सेवातो नरो मोक्षमवाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

mune caturdaśaitāni mahāṃtyāyatanāni vai | eteṣāmapi sevāto naro mokṣamavāpnuyāt

Translation

«Ô muni, ces quatorze sont véritablement de grands sanctuaires ; par le service et l’assidue dévotion envers eux, l’homme obtient la délivrance (mokṣa).»

Word by Word

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• चतुर्दश: fourteen
• चतुर्दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्दश (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• एतानि: these
• एतानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• महान्ति: great
• महान्ति: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महन्त् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• आयतनानि: shrines, abodes
• आयतनानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• एतेषाम्: of these
• एतेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ-अव्यय (also/even)

• सेवातः: from service (to them)
• सेवातः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (as cause/from)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मोक्षम्: liberation
• मोक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अवाप्नुयात्: may attain
• अवाप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; addressing Agastya as 'mune')

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Caturdaśa Mahāliṅgāyatana (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni (explicit: ‘mune’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage addresses a gathered group of pilgrims, pointing to a garland-like ring of fourteen liṅga-shrines around a luminous Kāśī center; above, a calm radiance symbolizes mokṣa, with Śiva’s tranquil presence implied rather than anthropomorphic.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Fourteen Mahāliṅgas
• Mokṣa
• Sevā (devotional service)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation is linked to humble service and sustained devotion at Kāśī’s great Śiva sanctuaries.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The collective pilgrimage network of the fourteen great Liṅga-abodes in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā—reverent attendance, worship, and caretaking devotion toward these shrines—is prescribed as the effective practice.