Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

तत्पत्रैस्तत्फलैर्वापि संपूज्यः करुणेश्वरः । यो न जानाति तल्लिंगं सम्यग्ज्ञानविवर्जितः

Transliteration

tatpatraistatphalairvāpi saṃpūjyaḥ karuṇeśvaraḥ | yo na jānāti talliṃgaṃ samyagjñānavivarjitaḥ

Translation

Karuṇeśvara doit être honoré selon le rite avec ses feuilles, ou même avec ses fruits. Celui qui ne connaît pas ce Liṅga est privé de la vraie connaissance.

Word by Word

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-निर्देशक (genitive)

• पत्रैः: with leaves
• पत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करण-कारक (instrumental)

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-निर्देशक

• फलैः: with fruits
• फलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करण-कारक

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle: or)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थक-निपात (particle: also/even)

• संपूज्यः: to be duly worshipped
• संपूज्यः: Karya (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + पूज् (धातु) → संपूज्य (कृदन्त, क्तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कर्तव्य/योग्यता-वाचक (gerundive: ‘to be worshipped’); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• करुणेश्वरः: Lord Karuṇeśvara
• करुणेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करुणा (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (करुणायाः ईश्वरः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-यः (relative pronoun)

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

• जानाति: knows
• जानाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण

• लिङ्गम्: mark/sign (liṅga)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: properly/correctly)

• ज्ञान: knowledge
• ज्ञान: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समास-पूर्वपद (in compound)

• विवर्जितः: devoid of knowledge
• विवर्जितः: Karya (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + वर्ज् (धातु) → विवर्जित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle: deprived of); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘ज्ञान’ इत्यनेन सह उपपद-सम्बन्धः (ज्ञान-विवर्जितः = ज्ञानात् विवर्जितः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Karuṇeśvara (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee in Kāśī offers fresh leaves and small fruits at a modest shrine of Karuṇeśvara-liṅga; the liṅga is garlanded, with a sacred tree nearby; priests and pilgrims watch quietly as lamps flicker.

Characters & Entities

• Karuṇeśvara Liṅga
• Karuṇā-vṛkṣa (implied by leaves/fruits)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right understanding includes recognizing Kāśī’s sacred manifestations of Śiva; even simple offerings become meaningful when aligned with that knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Karuṇeśvara Liṅga (and, by implication, its associated sacred tree whose leaves/fruits are offered).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship Karuṇeśvara using the associated leaves and/or fruits as offerings.