Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

तत्तीर्थं परितः स्थाप्य महालिंगान्यनेकशः । महेशाराधनपरास्तपश्चक्रुः प्रयत्नतः

Transliteration

tattīrthaṃ paritaḥ sthāpya mahāliṃgānyanekaśaḥ | maheśārādhanaparāstapaścakruḥ prayatnataḥ

Translation

उस तीर्थ के चारों ओर अनेक महालिङ्ग स्थापित करके, महेश की आराधना में तत्पर वे साधुजन प्रयत्नपूर्वक तप करने लगे।

Word by Word

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

• तीर्थम्: sacred ford/place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (neut., accusative singular)

• परितः: around
• परितः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण-देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परितः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (spatial adverb: 'around')

• स्थाप्य: having established/placed
• स्थाप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √स्था (धातु) + णिच् (caus.) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): 'having caused to be placed'

• महालिङ्गानि: great liṅgas
• महालिङ्गानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (neut., accusative plural; 'great liṅgas')

• अनेकशः: many times / in many places
• अनेकशः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनेकशः (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'in many ways/many times')

• महेशाराधनपराः: devoted to worship of Maheśa
• महेशाराधनपराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महेश + आराधन + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (masc., nominative plural; 'devoted to worship of Maheśa')

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (neut., accusative singular)

• चक्रुः: they performed/did
• चक्रुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमा-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन (Perfect; 3rd person plural)

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्नतः (अव्यय)
• Form: भाववाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'with effort/earnestly')

Speaker

Skanda (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Daṇḍakhātā tīrtha-maṇḍala

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circular sacred pond with many stone liṅgas installed around its perimeter; ascetics performing austerities—standing, seated meditation, japa—focused on Maheśa.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Maheśa (Śiva)
• Tīrtha (Daṇḍakhātā context)
• Mahāliṅgas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are intensified through liṅga-sthāpana and sustained devotion; worship and tapas together establish a living field of Śiva’s presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha created in the narrative (centered on Daṇḍakhātā), now encircled by installed mahāliṅgas in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-sthāpana (installation of liṅgas), Maheśa-ārādhana (Śiva worship), and tapas (austerity) are explicitly indicated.