Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

जैगीषव्येश्वरं लिंगं गोपनीयं प्रयत्नतः । कलौ कलुषबुद्धीनां पुरतश्च विशेषतः

Transliteration

jaigīṣavyeśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ gopanīyaṃ prayatnataḥ | kalau kaluṣabuddhīnāṃ purataśca viśeṣataḥ

Translation

ജൈഗീഷവ്യേശ്വര ലിംഗം പരിശ്രമത്തോടെ ഗോപ്യമായി സൂക്ഷിക്കണം—വിശേഷിച്ച് കലിയുഗത്തിൽ മലിനബുദ്ധിയുള്ളവരുടെ മുമ്പിൽ।

Word by Word

• जैगीषव्येश्वरम्: Lord (Īśvara) of Jaigīṣavya
• जैगीषव्येश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जैगीषव्य-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जैगीषव्यस्य ईश्वरः)

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

• गोपनीयम्: to be kept secret
• गोपनीयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुप् (धातु) + अनीय (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (अनीय-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम्)

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort; carefully
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• कलुषबुद्धीनाम्: of those with impure minds
• कलुषबुद्धीनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलुष-बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (कलुषा बुद्धिः येषाम्)

• पुरतः: in front; before
• पुरतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-निबद्ध)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश-स्थानवाचक अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jaigīṣavyeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A tapasvin addressed as 'tapodhana' (likely Jaigīṣavya or the hymn-composer)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A secluded Kāśī alley-shrine with a small liṅga veiled by cloth; a vigilant ascetic gestures for silence while the Ganga’s glow is distant.

Characters & Entities

• Jaigīṣavyeśvara Liṅga
• Kali-yuga
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred power is to be safeguarded; unfit or malicious intent in Kali-yuga warrants discretion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jaigīṣavyeśvara Liṅga in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Maintain secrecy/protection of the Liṅga’s whereabouts or access, particularly from the impure-minded.