Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

यत्र रत्नमयं लिंगमाविर्भूतं स्वयं मुने । तस्य स्फुरत्प्रभाजालैस्ततमंबरमंडलम्

Transliteration

yatra ratnamayaṃ liṃgamāvirbhūtaṃ svayaṃ mune | tasya sphuratprabhājālaistatamaṃbaramaṃḍalam

Translation

ഹേ മുനേ! എവിടെ ആ രത്നമയ ലിംഗം സ്വയം പ്രാദുർഭവിച്ചുവോ, അവിടെ അതിന്റെ മിന്നുന്ന പ്രഭാജാലങ്ങൾ കൊണ്ട് മുഴുവൻ ആകാശമണ്ഡലം വ്യാപിച്ചു॥

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative locative adverb: where)

• रत्नमयम्: jewel-made
• रत्नमयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत्न-मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; adjective)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• आविर्भूतम्: manifested
• आविर्भूतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आविर् + भू (धातु) → आविर्भूत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘प्रकटितम्’ (PPP; Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• स्वयम्: by itself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/अव्यय (indeclinable; ‘of itself’)

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

• तस्य: of it
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Pronoun; Neuter, Genitive, Singular)

• स्फुरत्प्रभाजालैः: by (its) flashing nets of radiance
• स्फुरत्प्रभाजालैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्फुरत्-प्रभा-जाल (प्रातिपदिक; स्फुरत् (कृदन्त) + प्रभा + जाल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Plural)

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Pronoun; Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• अम्बरमण्डलम्: the sphere of the sky
• अम्बरमण्डलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बर-मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक; अम्बर + मण्डल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; Kāśī Khaṇḍa discourse tradition)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Svayaṃbhū Ratna-liṅga at Śaileśvara (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni (explicitly addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The jewel-liṅga emits interlacing beams; the sky dome above is filled with a net of shimmering light, as if a celestial canopy has been woven from gem-flashes.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅga
• Śaileśvara (implied)
• Sage (listener, unspecified)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A true tīrtha is marked by divine self-manifestation and an atmosphere transformed by sacred radiance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Śaileśvara Liṅga-site in Kāśī, portrayed as a svayaṃbhū manifestation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse functions as māhātmya—establishing the site’s miraculous sign (radiant theophany).