Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

महाप्रसिद्धं तत्स्थानं चतुःसागरसंज्ञितम् । चत्वारि तत्र लिंगानि सागरैः स्थापितानि च

Transliteration

mahāprasiddhaṃ tatsthānaṃ catuḥsāgarasaṃjñitam | catvāri tatra liṃgāni sāgaraiḥ sthāpitāni ca

Translation

ആ സ്ഥലം ‘ചതുഃസാഗര’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ മഹാപ്രസിദ്ധമാണ്. അവിടെ നാലു ലിംഗങ്ങളുണ്ട്; അവയെ സമുദ്രങ്ങൾ സ്ഥാപിച്ചതാണ്.

Word by Word

• महाप्रसिद्धम्: very famous
• महाप्रसिद्धम्: Karma/Predicate qualifier (विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाप्रसिद्ध = महा + प्रसिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Nom/Acc), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta/Karma qualifier (निर्देशक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; निर्देश्य-विशेषणम्

• स्थानम्: place
• स्थानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Nom/Acc), एकवचनम्

• चतुःसागर-संज्ञितम्: called ‘Four-Oceans’
• चतुःसागर-संज्ञितम्: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुः (संख्या) + सागर (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (नामधेयवाचकः)

• चत्वारि: four
• चत्वारि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; संख्याविशेषणम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of place)

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas (emblems)
• लिङ्गानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• सागरैः: by the oceans
• सागरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम्

• स्थापितानि: were established/placed
• स्थापितानि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative) → स्थापय + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचनम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगः

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration, typically to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Catuḥsāgara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A famed pond precinct with four small shrines at cardinal points, each housing a liṅga; personified Oceans (as regal deities with wave-crowns) are shown installing the liṅgas in a primordial scene overlaying the present-day tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Catuḥsāgara
• Four liṅgas
• Sāgara (Oceans, personified)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sanctity is portrayed as cosmic: even the personified Oceans are said to consecrate Śiva-liṅgas there.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The famed place called Catuḥsāgara, associated with a pond and multiple liṅgas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is commanded; the verse identifies the site’s fame and the presence/origin of four liṅgas for worship.