Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

कृत्तिवासं समाराध्य भक्तियुक्तेन चेतसा । सर्वलिंगाराधनजं फलं काश्यामवाप्यते

Transliteration

kṛttivāsaṃ samārādhya bhaktiyuktena cetasā | sarvaliṃgārādhanajaṃ phalaṃ kāśyāmavāpyate

Translation

ഭക്തിയുക്തമായ ചിത്തത്തോടെ കൃത്തിവാസനെ ആരാധിച്ചാൽ, കാശിയിൽ സർവലിംഗാരാധനയിൽ നിന്നുള്ള ഫലം ലഭിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• कृत्तिवासम्: Kṛttivāsa
• कृत्तिवासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्तिवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• समाराध्य: having duly worshipped
• समाराध्य: Kriyā (Gerund—prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-राध् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त अव्ययभाव); अव्यय; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having worshipped)

• भक्तियुक्तेन: with devotion-endowed
• भक्तियुक्तेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति-युक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (चेतस्-सम्बन्धेन); तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः—भक्त्या युक्तः

• चेतसा: with the mind
• चेतसा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• सर्वलिङ्गाराधनजम्: born of worship of all liṅgas
• सर्वलिङ्गाराधनजम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-लिङ्ग-आराधन-ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः—सर्वलिङ्गानाम् आराधनात् जातम्

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• अवाप्यते: is obtained
• अवाप्यते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive: ‘is obtained’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśī-khaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṛttivāseśa/Kṛttivāsa (Kāśī)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sage interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee with folded hands and offerings (bilva, water, lamp) before the Kṛttivāseśa liṅga; behind, faint silhouettes of many other liṅgas dissolve into a single radiant aura, indicating ‘all-liṅga fruit’ contained here.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Kṛttivāsa
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Focused devotion at a supremely sanctified shrine can equal the merit of extensive worship elsewhere.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The shrine of Kṛttivāsa/Kṛttivāseśvara in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform heartfelt worship (ārādhana) of Kṛttivāsa with bhakti.