Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

यत्र चंद्रेश्वरं लिंगं त्वयेदं स्थापितं शशिन् । इदमेव हि तत्पीठमदृश्यमकृतात्मभिः

Transliteration

yatra caṃdreśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ tvayedaṃ sthāpitaṃ śaśin | idameva hi tatpīṭhamadṛśyamakṛtātmabhiḥ

Translation

ഹേ ശശിൻ! നീ ചന്ദ്രേശ്വര ലിംഗം സ്ഥാപിച്ചിരിക്കുന്ന സ്ഥലമേ ആ പീഠം തന്നേ; അശുദ്ധാത്മാക്കൾക്ക് അത് അദൃശ്യമായി നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു.

Word by Word

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

• चन्द्रेश्वरम्: Candreśvara
• चन्द्रेश्वरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्रेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• स्थापितम्: established
• स्थापितम्: Karman (Object complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (set/established)

• शशिन्: O Moon (Śaśin)
• शशिन्: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम्

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपातः (particle: indeed/only)

• हि: for / indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक-निपातः (particle: for/indeed)

• तत्-पीठम्: that sacred seat
• तत्-पीठम्: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पीठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः: तस्य पीठम्

• अदृश्यम्: invisible
• अदृश्यम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; नञ्-तत्पुरुष/कृदन्त-विशेषणम्: अ-दृश्य (not visible)

• अकृत-आत्मभिः: by the undisciplined (people)
• अकृत-आत्मभिः: Karana (Instrument/agent of perception)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकृत (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम्; बहुव्रीहिः: अकृतात्मानः येषां ते (uncontrolled/undisciplined persons)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Candreśvara Liṅga as Yogīśvarī Pīṭha marker

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaśin (addressed directly) and/or the narrative’s inquirer as overhearer

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Moon-god (Śaśin) performs liṅga-pratiṣṭhā of Candreśvara in Kāśī; the pīṭha’s subtle radiance is visible only to purified yogins, while ordinary onlookers see merely a quiet shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Candreśvara Liṅga
• Śaśin (Moon)
• Pīṭha
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred realities may be subtle and require inner purification; adhikāra (spiritual fitness) determines what one can truly perceive.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Candreśvara liṅga-site and its associated pīṭha within Kāśī are identified as uniquely powerful and esoterically veiled.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse does not prescribe a new rite; it points to the sanctified location where the Moon established the Candreśvara liṅga and implies purification to perceive the pīṭha.