Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

महातेजोनिधिस्तस्य प्रासादोतीवनिर्मलः । ज्वालाजटिलिताकाशो माणिक्यैरेव निर्मितः

Transliteration

mahātejonidhistasya prāsādotīvanirmalaḥ | jvālājaṭilitākāśo māṇikyaireva nirmitaḥ

Translation

ആ മഹാതേജനിധിയുടെ പ്രാസാദം അത്യന്തം നിർമ്മലം; മാണിക്യങ്ങളാൽ മാത്രം നിർമ്മിച്ചതുപോലെ, അതിന്റെ ദീപ്തിയിൽ ആകാശം ജ്വാലകളാൽ ജടിലമായതുപോലെ തോന്നുന്നു.

Word by Word

• mahā-tejaḥ-nidhiḥ: treasury/store of great splendor
• mahā-tejaḥ-nidhiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + tejas (प्रातिपदिक) + nidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (महातेजसः निधिः)

• tasya: of it/of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• prāsādaḥ: palace/temple
• prāsādaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāsāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• atīva: very
• atīva: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atīva (अव्यय)
• Form: अत्यर्थक-अव्यय (intensifying adverb)

• nirmalaḥ: pure/spotless
• nirmalaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirmala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (प्रासादस्य)

• jvālā-jaṭilita-ākāśaḥ: whose sky/space is tangled with flames
• jvālā-jaṭilita-ākāśaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jvālā (प्रातिपदिक) + jaṭilita (कृदन्त, √jaṭ ‘to be tangled’/denom.) + ākāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (यस्य आकाशः ज्वालाभिः जटिलितः सः)

• māṇikyaiḥ: with rubies/gems
• māṇikyaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māṇikya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• nirmitaḥ: constructed/made
• nirmitaḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √mā (धातु) उपसर्गः nir-
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि—‘निर्मितः’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahāteja (liṅga-prāsāda)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A spotless, towering temple shimmering like ruby; flames of radiance seem to braid into the sky above the spire; the sanctum glows as if made of gemstones.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāteja
• Prāsāda (temple)
• Māṇikya (ruby)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holiness is portrayed as visible brilliance: purity and tejas are symbolized through radiant architecture and flame-like splendor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The prāsāda (temple) of the Mahāteja liṅga within the Kāśī sacred area.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it is a descriptive praise of the shrine’s sanctified radiance.