Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

मुक्तिक्षेत्रं कृतं येन महालिंगेन काशिका । अविमुक्ते महादेवं यो द्रक्ष्यत्यत्रमानवः

Transliteration

muktikṣetraṃ kṛtaṃ yena mahāliṃgena kāśikā | avimukte mahādevaṃ yo drakṣyatyatramānavaḥ

Translation

ഏത് മഹാലിംഗം കൊണ്ടാണ് കാശിക ‘മുക്തിക്ഷേത്രം’ ആയത്—അവിമുക്തത്തിൽ ഇവിടെ മഹാദേവനെ ദർശിക്കുന്ന മനുഷ്യൻ…

Word by Word

• मुक्तिक्षेत्रम्: the field of liberation
• मुक्तिक्षेत्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मुक्तेः क्षेत्रम्)

• कृतम्: made, created
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः—‘made/created’

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे—‘by whom/whereby’

• महालिङ्गेन: by the great Liṅga
• महालिङ्गेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् लिङ्गम्)

• काशिका: Kāśikā (Kāśī)
• काशिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; काशी-नगरी

• अविमुक्ते: in Avimukta (the sacred area)
• अविमुक्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविमुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक—अविमुक्तक्षेत्रे

• महादेवम्: Mahādeva
• महादेवम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् देवः)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• द्रक्ष्यति: will see
• द्रक्ष्यति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• मानवः: a human (man)
• मानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa context, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (inner Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within the dense sacred lanes of Avimukta, a towering, radiant Mahāliṅga is worshipped; a pilgrim receives Mahādeva-darśana as the city itself glows like a mukti-field.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśikā (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī)
• Avimukta
• Mahādeva
• Mahāliṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī becomes a mokṣa-giving land through Śiva’s presence as the Mahāliṅga; darśana of Mahādeva in Avimukta is supremely transformative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-kṣetra within Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), celebrated as the ‘never-abandoned’ sacred zone of Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse highlights darśana (beholding) of Mahādeva in Avimukta; it implies pilgrimage and reverent approach to the Liṅga.