Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अग्निवर्णेश्वरं चैव नैध्रुवेश्वरमेव च । वत्सेश्वरं महालिंगं पर्णादेश्वरमेव च

Transliteration

agnivarṇeśvaraṃ caiva naidhruveśvarameva ca | vatseśvaraṃ mahāliṃgaṃ parṇādeśvarameva ca

Translation

അവിടെ അഗ്നിവർണേശ്വരവും നൈധ്രുവേശ്വരവും; വത്സേശ്വര എന്ന മഹാലിംഗവും, പർണാദേശ്വരവും ഉണ്ട്.

Word by Word

• अग्निवर्ण-ईश्वरम्: Agnivarṇeśvara
• अग्निवर्ण-ईश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case/Accusative), एकवचन; नाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• नैध्रुव-ईश्वरम्: Naidhruveśvara
• नैध्रुव-ईश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case/Accusative), एकवचन; नाम

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• वत्स-ईश्वरम्: Vatsēśvara
• वत्स-ईश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्स (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case/Accusative), एकवचन; नाम

• महा-लिङ्गम्: the great liṅga
• महा-लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case/Accusative), एकवचन

• पर्णाद-ईश्वरम्: Parṇādeśvara
• पर्णाद-ईश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्णाद (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case/Accusative), एकवचन; नाम

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Agnivarṇeśvara, Naidhruveśvara, Vatseśvara, Parṇādeśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequence of four sanctums; Agnivarṇeśvara glows with a warm fire-hued aura; Naidhruveśvara framed by a star/polar motif; Vatseśvara larger (‘mahāliṅga’); Parṇādeśvara adorned with leaves.

Characters & Entities

• Agnivarṇeśvara
• Naidhruveśvara
• Vatseśvara
• Parṇādeśvara
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sanctity is expressed through many named liṅgas, each a doorway into Śiva’s presence within the kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra, through the shrines Agnivarṇeśvara, Naidhruveśvara, Vatseśvara (mahāliṅga), and Parṇādeśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the verse functions as a sacred itinerary for darśana and pūjā.