Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

सख्यः प्रदक्षिणीकर्तुं लिंगं तिस्रोऽप्युमे गताः । तस्या गीतेन तुष्टोहं लिंगस्थो वरदोभवम्

Transliteration

sakhyaḥ pradakṣiṇīkartuṃ liṃgaṃ tisro'pyume gatāḥ | tasyā gītena tuṣṭohaṃ liṃgastho varadobhavam

Translation

ഹേ ഉമാ, അവളുടെ മൂന്നു സഖികളും ലിംഗത്തെ പ്രദക്ഷിണം ചെയ്യാൻ പോയി. ആ കന്യയുടെ ഗീതത്തിൽ തൃപ്തനായ ഞാൻ—ലിംഗസ്ഥനായി—വരദാതാവായി।

Word by Word

• sakhyaḥ: female friends
• sakhyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sakhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• pradakṣiṇīkartum: to circumambulate
• pradakṣiṇīkartum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pradakṣiṇī-√kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), 'to circumambulate'

• liṅgam: the liṅga
• liṅgam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tisraḥ: three
• tisraḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण (sakhyaḥ इत्यस्य)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-अव्यय (particle: 'also/even')

• ume: O Umā
• ume: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: umā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• gatāḥ: went
• gatāḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा बहुवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः: 'went'

• tasyāḥ: of her
• tasyāḥ: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• gītena: by (her) song
• gītena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gīta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tuṣṭaḥ: pleased
• tuṣṭaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √tuṣ (तुष् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण (aham इत्यस्य)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• liṅgasthaḥ: standing in the liṅga
• liṅgasthaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: liṅga + stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (liṅge sthitaḥ)

• varadaḥ: boon-giving
• varadaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: varada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (aham इत्यस्य)

• abhavam: I became
• abhavam: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Umā/Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ratneśa-liṅga (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Umā (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Three friends circle the liṅga while the maiden sings; within the liṅga a subtle vision of Śiva’s presence manifests as a boon-giving radiance, as if the stone itself becomes conscious.

Characters & Entities

• Umā
• Śiva
• Ratneśvara-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pradakṣiṇā and devotional singing are potent offerings that quickly invoke Śiva’s boon-bestowing presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ratneśvara Liṅga in Kāśī, a focal shrine within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pradakṣiṇā (circumambulation) of the liṅga, alongside gīta/kīrtana as worship.