Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

येनैकमपि मे लिंगं स्थापितं यत्र कुत्रचित् । तस्यापराधलेशोपि नास्ति सर्वापराधिनः

Transliteration

yenaikamapi me liṃgaṃ sthāpitaṃ yatra kutracit | tasyāparādhaleśopi nāsti sarvāparādhinaḥ

Translation

ಯಾರು ಎಲ್ಲಿಯಾದರೂ ನನ್ನ ಒಂದು ಲಿಂಗವನ್ನಾದರೂ ಸ್ಥಾಪಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೋ, ಅವರು ಸರ್ವಾಪರಾಧಿಗಳಾಗಿದ್ದರೂ ಅವರಲ್ಲಿ ಅಪರಾಧದ ಲೇಶಮಾತ್ರವೂ ಉಳಿಯದು.

Word by Word

• येन: by whom/whereby
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक; विशेषण

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

• मे: my/of me
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• स्थापितम्: established
• स्थापितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; causative sense ‘established’

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-सम्बन्ध (relative adverb: where)

• कुत्रचित्: anywhere
• कुत्रचित्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुत्रचित् (अव्यय; components: कुत्र + चित्)
• Form: अव्यय; अनिश्चित-देशवाचक (indefinite adverb: anywhere)

• तस्य: of him/of that person
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• अपराधलेशः: a trace of offense
• अपराधलेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपराध-लेश (प्रातिपदिक; components: अपराध + लेश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अपराधस्य लेशः)

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

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: अस् (to be)

• सर्वापराधिनः: of one who has all offenses (i.e., even a great sinner)
• सर्वापराधिनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-अपराधिन् (प्रातिपदिक; components: सर्व + अपराधिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सर्वे अपराधाः यस्य)

Speaker

Śiva (Devadeva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dhātṛ (Brahmā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant liṅga being established in any landscape—forest, village, riverbank—while Śiva’s unseen grace dissolves dark ‘offense’ imagery into light; the scene emphasizes universality and redemption.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed through liṅga-sthāpana is presented as extraordinarily purifying, erasing even deep layers of aparādha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement is universal (“anywhere”), yet it resonates strongly within Kāśī-khaṇḍa where Śiva’s presence and liṅga tradition are central.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-sthāpana (installing/establishing a Śiva-liṅga) is highlighted as a potent religious act with purificatory results.