Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

निजमूर्तिमयं लिंगमविज्ञातं विधेरपि । स्थापितं सर्वसिद्धीनां स्थापकेभ्यः समर्पितुम्

Transliteration

nijamūrtimayaṃ liṃgamavijñātaṃ vidherapi | sthāpitaṃ sarvasiddhīnāṃ sthāpakebhyaḥ samarpitum

Translation

സ്വസ്വരൂപമയമായ ആ ലിംഗം—വിധി (ബ്രഹ്മാ)യ്ക്കും അജ്ഞാതമായത്—സ്ഥാപിക്കപ്പെട്ടു; സർവ്വസിദ്ധികളുടെ ആധാരമായി അത് സ്ഥാപക പുരോഹിതർക്കു സമർപ്പിക്കുവാൻ.

Word by Word

• निजमूर्तिमयम्: consisting of (his) own form
• निजमूर्तिमयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज-मूर्ति-मय (प्रातिपदिक; निज + मूर्ति + मय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (‘own-form-made/of one’s own form’) — ‘लिङ्गम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga, emblem
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• अविज्ञातम्: unknown, not recognized
• अविज्ञातम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव-ज्ञा (धातु) + अविज्ञात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः; ‘unknown’ — ‘लिङ्गम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• विधेः: of Brahmā (Vidhi)
• विधेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

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

• स्थापितम्: was established
• स्थापितम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + स्थापि (णिच्) + स्थापित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘was established/placed’ (finite sense)

• सर्वसिद्धीनाम्: of all siddhis (powers)
• सर्वसिद्धीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + सिद्धि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (‘of all accomplishments/powers’)

• स्थापकेभ्यः: to the establishers
• स्थापकेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थापक (प्रातिपदिक; √स्था + णिच् + ण्वुल्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), बहुवचन

• समर्पितुम्: to offer, to dedicate
• समर्पितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√अर्प् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (infinitive); ‘to offer/dedicate’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (typical frame; not stated in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant, self-essence liṅga being established; Brahmā’s knowing is eclipsed by the liṅga’s ineffable brilliance; priests/establishers receive it as the basis of siddhis.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Vidhi (Brahmā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s presence in the liṅga is transcendent and mysterious; consecrated divine forms become channels for spiritual attainments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame, a sacred liṅga associated with the Mandara/Avimukta narrative is being highlighted.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, the act of establishing/consecrating a liṅga (sthāpana/pratiṣṭhā) is referenced as spiritually potent.