Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

इह शर्वः समायातः स्थानान्मध्यमकेश्वरात् । चतुर्वेदेश्वरं लिंगं पुरोधाय व्यवस्थितम्

Transliteration

iha śarvaḥ samāyātaḥ sthānānmadhyamakeśvarāt | caturvedeśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ purodhāya vyavasthitam

Translation

ഇവിടെ ശർവ്വൻ (ശിവൻ) മധ്യമകേശ്വരസ്ഥാനത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വന്ന്, ചതുര്‍വേദേശ്വര ലിംഗത്തെ അഗ്രസ്ഥാനത്ത് സ്ഥാപിച്ചു പ്രതിഷ്ഠിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• शर्वः: Śarva (Śiva)
• शर्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• समायातः: has come
• समायातः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-या (धातु)
• Form: भूतकालिक कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्थानात्: from the place
• स्थानात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• मध्यमकेश्वरात्: from Madhyamakeśvara
• मध्यमकेश्वरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्यमक + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; समासः—मध्यमकस्य ईश्वरः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• चतुर्वेदेश्वरम्: Caturvedeśvara
• चतुर्वेदेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् + वेद + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—चतुर्णां वेदानाम् ईश्वरः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• पुरोधाय: having placed in front
• पुरोधाय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पुरस्-धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘पुरतः स्थापयित्वा/having placed in front’

• व्यवस्थितम्: established/standing
• व्यवस्थितम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-अव-स्था (धातु)
• Form: भूतकालिक कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘स्थितम्/established’; ‘लिङ्गम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Caturvedeśvara-liṅga

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śarva arrives from Madhyamakeśvara and ceremonially sets Caturvedeśvara liṅga in a prominent, front position; priests chant Vedic hymns as the liṅga is enthroned.

Characters & Entities

• Śarva
• Madhyamakeśvara
• Caturvedeśvara
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s liṅgas are framed as divinely instituted, linking Śaiva devotion with Vedic sanctity (Caturveda).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Caturvedeśvara liṅga in Kāśī, connected to Madhyamakeśvara as its source-location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, reverence and worship of the established Caturvedeśvara liṅga at its foremost shrine-position.