Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

तत्रापि सर्वतीर्थानि ततोप्योंकारभूमिका । ओंकारादपि सल्लिंगान्मोक्षवर्त्म प्रकाशकात्

Transliteration

tatrāpi sarvatīrthāni tatopyoṃkārabhūmikā | oṃkārādapi salliṃgānmokṣavartma prakāśakāt

Translation

ત્યાં પણ સર્વ તીર્થો છે; પરંતુ તેનાથી પણ ઊંચી ઓંકાર-ભૂમિકા છે. ઓંકારથી પણ શ્રેષ્ઠ તે શુભ લિંગ છે, જે મોક્ષમાર્ગ પ્રકાશિત કરે છે.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

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

• सर्वतीर्थानि: all sacred fords/pilgrimage places
• सर्वतीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva-tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom./1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (sarvāṇi tīrthāni)

• ततः: from that/thereafter
• ततः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादानार्थक/क्रमवाचक (from that; then)

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

• ओंकारभूमिका: the Oṃkāra-bhūmikā (ground/region of Oṃkāra)
• ओंकारभूमिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: oṃkāra (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūmikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (oṃkārasya bhūmikā)

• ओंकारात्: from Oṃkāra
• ओंकारात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: oṃkāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

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

• सत्: true/holy
• सत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'लिंगात्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• लिंगात्: from the liṅga
• लिंगात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मोक्षवर्त्म: the path to liberation
• मोक्षवर्त्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mokṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + vartman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (mokṣasya vartma)

• प्रकाशकात्: from the revealer/illuminator
• प्रकाशकात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prakāśaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; करण/हेतुवाचक (as source/cause)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Oṃkāra-bhūmikā; (and) the auspicious liṅga revealing mokṣa-vartman

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic map-like scene: Kāśī containing innumerable tīrthas, then a raised Oṃkāra-bhūmikā platform inscribed with Oṃ, and above/within it an auspicious liṅga emitting a path-like beam guiding souls toward liberation.

Characters & Entities

• sarva-tīrtha
• Oṃkāra-bhūmikā
• Liṅga
• mokṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography culminates in liberation: tīrthas lead upward to mantra-seat (Oṃkāra) and ultimately to Śiva’s Liṅga revealing mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Oṃkāra-bhūmikā and the supreme auspicious Liṅga within the Kāśī sacred domain.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is mandated; the verse establishes a spiritual hierarchy culminating in Liṅga-upāsanā oriented to mokṣa.