Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

जगाम काशीं निर्वाणराशिं विश्वेशपालिताम् । तत्र लिगं प्रतिष्ठाप्य स स्वनाम्ना बुधेश्वरम्

Transliteration

jagāma kāśīṃ nirvāṇarāśiṃ viśveśapālitām | tatra ligaṃ pratiṣṭhāpya sa svanāmnā budheśvaram

Translation

ಅವನು ವಿಶ್ವೇಶ್ವರನಿಂದ ಪಾಲಿತವಾದ, ನಿರ್ವಾಣದ ನಿಧಿಯಂತಿರುವ ಕಾಶಿಗೆ ಹೋದನು. ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಲಿಂಗವನ್ನು ಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಠಾಪಿಸಿ, ತನ್ನ ಹೆಸರಿನಿಂದ ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ‘ಬುಧೇಶ್ವರ’ ಎಂದು ನಾಮವಿಟ್ಟನು।

Word by Word

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; perfect, 3rd person singular

• काशीम्: to Kāśī
• काशीम्: Karman (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; feminine, accusative singular

• निर्वाणराशिम्: the heap/mass of liberation (i.e., bestower of mokṣa)
• निर्वाणराशिम्: Karman (Apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक) + राशि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; masculine, accusative singular; apposition to ‘काशीम्’

• विश्वेशपालिताम्: protected by Viśveśa (Śiva)
• विश्वेशपालिताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्वेश (प्रातिपदिक) + पालित (पा धातु, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; adjective qualifying ‘काशीम्’

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

• लिङ्गम्: a liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; neuter, accusative singular

• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: having installed, established
• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया; absolutive

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; pronoun, masculine, nominative singular

• स्वनाम्ना: by his own name
• स्वनाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; instrumental singular; ‘by/with his own name’

• बुधेश्वरम्: Budheśvara
• बुधेश्वरम्: Karman (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; masculine, accusative singular; name of the installed liṅga

Speaker

Skanda (to Agastya, deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) – Budheśvara Liṅga

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Budha arrives at Kāśī’s sacred precincts; the city glows with spiritual radiance; Viśveśa’s presence is felt as protective aura; Budha installs a Śiva-liṅga and names it Budheśvara, performing consecration rites amid chanting and lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Viśveśa
• Śiva
• Budha
• Budheśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is celebrated as a mokṣa-kṣetra; establishing Śiva-worship there links personal striving to universal liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), protected by Viśveśa, and specifically the Budheśvara-liṅga within Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (installation/consecration) is described as Budha’s act of devotion in Kāśī.