Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

आम्रातकेश्वरात्क्षेत्राल्लिंगं सूक्ष्मेश संज्ञितम् । स्वयमभ्यागतं चात्र क्षेत्रे वै श्रेयसांपदे

Transliteration

āmrātakeśvarātkṣetrālliṃgaṃ sūkṣmeśa saṃjñitam | svayamabhyāgataṃ cātra kṣetre vai śreyasāṃpade

Translation

ആമ്രാതകേശ്വര ക്ഷേത്രത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ‘സൂക്ഷ്മേശ’ എന്നു വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്ന ലിംഗം സ്വയം ഇവിടെ എത്തി—ഈ പുണ്യക്ഷേത്രം ശ്രേയസ്സിന്റെ യഥാർത്ഥ നിവാസസ്ഥാനമാണ്.

Word by Word

• आम्रातकेश्वरात्: from Āmrātakeśvara
• आम्रातकेश्वरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आम्रातकेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन; समासः—आम्रातक + ईश्वर (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• क्षेत्रात्: from the sacred field (kṣetra)
• क्षेत्रात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (उद्देश्य/वर्ण्य)

• सूक्ष्मेश: Sūkṣmeśa
• सूक्ष्मेश: Samjna (Name-apposition/संज्ञा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूक्ष्मेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—सूक्ष्म + ईश (कर्मधारयः)

• संज्ञितम्: named, designated
• संज्ञितम्: Visheshana (Adjectival predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: संज्ञि (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘लिङ्गम्’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• स्वयम्: of itself
• स्वयम्: Adverbial (रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वयम्-शब्दः (indeclinable adverb: by itself)

• अभ्यागतम्: having come, arrived
• अभ्यागतम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + अभि-आ (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘लिङ्गम्’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adverbial (देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• क्षेत्रे: in the kṣetra
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

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

• श्रेयसाम्: of auspicious benefits
• श्रेयसाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पदे: in the abode/state
• पदे: Adhikarana (State/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Āmrātakeśvara / Sūkṣmeśa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A subtle, luminous liṅga (Sūkṣmeśa) appears as if arriving on its own into the Āmrātakeśvara sacred precinct; devas and sages witness the auspicious descent/arrival, the ground marked by mango (āmra) symbolism.

Characters & Entities

• Āmrātakeśvara
• Sūkṣmeśa
• Śiva
• Kāśī-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is presented as a supreme śreyas-sthāna where Śiva’s presence manifests and relocates by divine will to uplift devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Sūkṣmeśa (Sūkṣmeśvara) Liṅga, associated with Āmrātakeśvara within Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the verse emphasizes the liṅga’s self-manifest/auto-arrival (svayam-abhyāgata) and the sanctity of the kṣetra.