Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

वाराणस्यां महाभागो वर्षाणामयुतं शतम् । स्थापयित्वा महालिंगं पावनं पवनेश्वरम्

Transliteration

vārāṇasyāṃ mahābhāgo varṣāṇāmayutaṃ śatam | sthāpayitvā mahāliṃgaṃ pāvanaṃ pavaneśvaram

Translation

വാരാണസിയിൽ ആ മഹാഭാഗ്യവാൻ പത്തായിരവും നൂറും വർഷങ്ങൾ (തപസ്സു ചെയ്ത്) ‘പവനേശ്വരൻ’ എന്ന പാവന മഹാലിംഗം സ്ഥാപിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• वाराणस्याम्: in Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vārāṇasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• महाभागः: the greatly fortunate one
• महाभागः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-bhāga (प्रातिपदिक; महा + भाग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः

• वर्षाणाम्: of years
• वर्षाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (6th/Genitive), बहुवचनम्

• अयुतम्: ten thousand
• अयुतम्: Karma (Measure/परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ayuta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; संख्यावाचक

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma (Measure/परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; संख्यावाचक

• स्थापयित्वा: having स्थापित/installed
• स्थापयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त causative + क्त्वान्त (absolutive): स्थापयित्वा = स्थापयन् कृत्वा; √स्था (to place)

• महालिङ्गम्: a great liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• महालिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-liṅga (प्रातिपदिक; महा + लिङ्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः

• पावनम्: purifying
• पावनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāvana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (महालिङ्गस्य)

• पवनेश्वरम्: Pavaneśvara (Lord of Wind; name/title)
• पवनेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pavana-īśvara (प्रातिपदिक; पवन + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘पवनस्य ईश्वरः’)—नामरूपेण लिङ्गस्य

Speaker

Narrator voice within Kāśīkhaṇḍa (deduced as Skanda)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pavaneśvara

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage completes a vast period of austerity and consecrates a towering ‘Mahāliṅga’ named Pavaneśvara in Kāśī; priests pour water, devotees hold lamps, and wind motifs swirl as if Vāyu himself blesses the rite.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• Pavaneśvara
• Mahāliṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas culminates in consecration: establishing a Śiva-liṅga in Kāśī is portrayed as a world-purifying act with enduring sacred presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pavaneśvara Liṅga in Vārāṇasī (Kāśī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-sthāpana (establishing/consecrating a Śiva-liṅga) is explicitly mentioned.