Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

दाक्षिणात्य इह प्राप्तस्त्वेतया सह कांतया । ध्यायामि लिंगमेतच्च प्रार्थयामि न किंचन

Transliteration

dākṣiṇātya iha prāptastvetayā saha kāṃtayā | dhyāyāmi liṃgametacca prārthayāmi na kiṃcana

Translation

“ನಾನು ದಕ್ಷಿಣ ದೇಶದಿಂದ ಈ ಪ್ರಿಯ ಪತ್ನಿಯೊಂದಿಗೆ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಬಂದಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಈ ಲಿಂಗವನ್ನು ಧ್ಯಾನಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ; ಏನನ್ನೂ ಯಾಚಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.”

Word by Word

• दाक्षिणात्यः: a southerner
• दाक्षिणात्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाक्षिणात्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• प्राप्तः: arrived
• प्राप्तः: Kriya (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √प्राप् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एतया: with this (woman)
• एतया: Sahakarana (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक

• सह: together with
• सह: Saha (Accompaniment marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक उपपद (preposition-like indeclinable)

• कान्तया: with (my) beloved/wife
• कान्तया: Sahakarana (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कान्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• ध्यायामि: I meditate upon
• ध्यायामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन

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

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (लिंगम् इति विशेष्य)

• च: and
• च: Conjunction
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• प्रार्थयामि: I request / I ask for
• प्रार्थयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अर्थ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; प्र-उपसर्ग

• न: not
• न: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• किञ्चन: anything
• किञ्चन: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किञ्चन (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; अनिश्चित/निषेधसापेक्ष (anything at all)

Speaker

King Vṛddhakāla (as quoted within Skanda’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages (frame) / aged tapasvin within episode

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal couple, travel-worn yet serene, stands before a liṅga in Kāśī; the king declares he seeks nothing, only meditates—hands folded, eyes half-closed, wife beside him in quiet support.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛddhakāla (implied)
• Wife/consort (kāntā)
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest devotion in a tīrtha is niṣkāma—worship of Śiva without bargaining for worldly rewards.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is affirmed as a pan-Indian pilgrimage destination, drawing devotees even from the far South.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhyāna (meditation) on the liṅga, with an attitude of non-asking (niṣkāma-prārthanā).