Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

ममापीदं महालिंगं सदा पूज्यतमं सुराः । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन पूज्यं देवर्षि मानवैः

Transliteration

mamāpīdaṃ mahāliṃgaṃ sadā pūjyatamaṃ surāḥ | tasmātsarvaprayatnena pūjyaṃ devarṣi mānavaiḥ

Translation

Ce grand Liṅga qui est mien demeure à jamais le plus digne d’adoration, même pour les dieux ; c’est pourquoi, avec tous les efforts, il doit être vénéré par les dieux, les ṛṣi et les humains.

Word by Word

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); अपि=also/even

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• महा-लिङ्गम्: the great liṅga
• महा-लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् लिङ्गम्)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालाव्यय (adverb of time)

• पूज्यतमम्: most worthy of worship
• पूज्यतमम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज्य (प्रातिपदिक; √पूज् यत्) + तमप्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; अतिशय-तुल्यतम (superlative)

• सुराः: O gods
• सुराः: Sambodhana/Addressed (Vocative sense/सम्बोधनार्थे प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इति अव्ययीभूत-तद्धित/निपातवत्; हेतौ/तस्मादर्थे (therefore/from that)

• सर्व-प्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्व-प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सर्वः प्रयत्नः यस्य/सर्वप्रयत्नः)

• पूज्यम्: to be worshipped
• पूज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज्य (प्रातिपदिक; √पूज् यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be worshipped)

• देवर्षि: O divine sage
• देवर्षि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• मानवैः: by humans
• मानवैः: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

Speaker

Śiva/Viśvanātha (deduced from first-person and liṅga praise)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśvanātha Mahāliṅga (Viśveśvara)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/devarṣi in Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas, ṛṣis, and humans converge at the Viśvanātha liṅga, each offering worship—flowers, bilva, water—signifying the liṅga’s universal supremacy.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāliṅga
• Surāḥ (Devas)
• Devarṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Viśvanātha/Viśveśvara Liṅga is presented as universally supreme in worship, binding gods and humans to a shared dharma of reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s central Śiva-liṅga (Viśveśvara/Viśvanātha) is the focus.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An explicit prescription of pūjā: worship the Mahāliṅga ‘with all effort’ (sarva-prayatnena).