Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

आदिलिंगमिदं प्रोक्तमविमुक्तेश्वरं महत् । ततो लिंगांतराण्यत्र जातानि क्षितिमंडले

Transliteration

ādiliṃgamidaṃ proktamavimukteśvaraṃ mahat | tato liṃgāṃtarāṇyatra jātāni kṣitimaṃḍale

Translation

ഈ മഹത്തായ അവിമുക്തേശ്വരനെയാണ് ആദിലിംഗമായി പ്രസ്താവിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നത്. അതിൽ നിന്നാണ് ഇവിടെ ഭൂമണ്ഡലത്തിൽ മറ്റു ലിംഗങ്ങൾ ഉദ്ഭവിച്ചത്.

Word by Word

• आदि-लिङ्गम्: the primordial liṅga
• आदि-लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (आदि = पूर्व/प्रथम)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रोक्तम्: has been declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘said/declared’

• अविमुक्तेश्वरम्: Avimukteśvara
• अविमुक्तेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविमुक्त-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अविमुक्तस्य ईश्वरः)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (आदिलिङ्गम्/अविमुक्तेश्वरम्)

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/तद्-प्रभव)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/क्रमसूचक (thereafter/from that)

• लिङ्ग-अन्तराणि: other liṅgas
• लिङ्ग-अन्तराणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (लिङ्गानाम् अन्तराणि = other liṅgas)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• जातानि: arose
• जातानि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘born/arisen’

• क्षिति-मण्डले: on the earth-sphere
• क्षिति-मण्डले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (क्षितेः मण्डलम्)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukteśvara (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within the luminous precinct of Kāśī, the Avimukteśvara liṅga stands as the primal axis; from it, countless liṅgas appear across the earth like sparks from a sacred fire.

Characters & Entities

• Avimukteśvara
• Liṅgas
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s Avimukteśvara is framed as a fountainhead of Śaiva sanctity, radiating sacred presence across the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-kṣetra in Kāśī, through the primacy of the Avimukteśvara Liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse is cosmological/mahatmya in tone, explaining primacy and emanation.