Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

वाराणस्यामधिष्ठात्री देवता साभिलाषदा । महादेवेति संज्ञा वै सर्वलिंगस्वरूपिणी

Transliteration

vārāṇasyāmadhiṣṭhātrī devatā sābhilāṣadā | mahādeveti saṃjñā vai sarvaliṃgasvarūpiṇī

Translation

വാരാണസിയുടെ അധിഷ്ഠാത്രി, അഭിലാഷങ്ങൾ നൽകുന്ന ദേവി ‘മഹാദേവി’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധ; അവൾ സർവ്വ ലിംഗസ്വരൂപങ്ങളും ധരിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• वाराणस्याम्: in Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अधिष्ठात्री: the presiding one
• अधिष्ठात्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधि + स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक (तृन्/agent noun), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘presiding (deity)’

• देवता: goddess, deity
• देवता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अभिलाषदा: granting desires
• अभिलाषदा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभिलाष (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (अभिलाषं ददाति इति)

• महादेवेति: “Mahādeva” (thus)
• महादेवेति: Sambandha (Quotative/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक) + इति (अव्यय)
• Form: इति-निपातयुक्तः उद्धरण/संज्ञासूचकः; ‘(called) Mahādeva’

• संज्ञा: name, designation
• संज्ञा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• सर्वलिङ्गस्वरूपिणी: having the form of all liṅgas
• सर्वलिङ्गस्वरूपिणी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक) + इन् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां लिङ्गानां स्वरूपम् यस्याः सा)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī (Kāśī) under Mahādevā’s adhiṣṭhāna

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The goddess Mahādevā stands as Vārāṇasī’s presiding power, radiant and benevolent; behind her appear multiple liṅgas as emanations, showing her as sarva-liṅga-svarūpiṇī, granting boons to devotees.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī
• Adhiṣṭhātrī Devatā
• Mahādevā
• Sarva-liṅga-svarūpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is governed by a presiding divine power that grants aspirations and is inseparable from the totality of Śiva’s Liṅga-presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī) itself, described through its adhiṣṭhātrī devatā (presiding deity).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated; the verse supports worship of the presiding deity and Liṅga-forms throughout Kāśī.