Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

ततः कुब्जा जगन्माता नलकूवरलिंगतः । पूजनीया पुरोभागे प्रपितामहपश्चिमे

Transliteration

tataḥ kubjā jaganmātā nalakūvaraliṃgataḥ | pūjanīyā purobhāge prapitāmahapaścime

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം ജഗന്മാതയായ കൂബ്ജയെ നലകൂവര ലിംഗത്തെ ആശ്രയിച്ച് മുൻഭാഗത്തും, പ്രപിതാമഹ പ്രദേശത്തിന്റെ പടിഞ്ഞാറ് വശത്തും പൂജിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), क्रम/अनन्तरार्थ (thereafter/from there)

• कुब्जा: Kubjā (a goddess/figure named Kubjā)
• कुब्जा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुब्जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• जगन्माता: mother of the world
• जगन्माता: Karta (Apposition/epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + माता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जगतो माता); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कुब्जा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• नलकूवरलिङ्गतः: from/near the Nalakūvara-liṅga
• नलकूवरलिङ्गतः: Apādāna (Reference point/Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नलकूवर (प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नलकूवरस्य लिङ्गम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; स्थान-निर्देशे 'from/near'

• पूजनीया: worthy to be worshipped
• पूजनीया: Kriyā (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: अनीयर् (gerundive/future passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be worshipped)

• पुरोभागे: in the front part
• पुरोभागे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरोभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (पुरः + भाग); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक

• प्रपितामहपश्चिमे: to the west of (the shrine of) Prapitāmaha
• प्रपितामहपश्चिमे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रपितामह (प्रातिपदिक) + पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (प्रपितामहस्य पश्चिमः/पश्चिमे); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kūbjā (Jagन्माता) near Nalakūvara-liṅga

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim-audience via the narrative interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrow Kāśī lane opens to a small shrine of Kūbjā (Jagन्माता); nearby stands the Nalakūvara-liṅga; pilgrims pause to worship, with the Prapitāmaha zone implied to the east.

Characters & Entities

• Kūbjā Devī
• Nalakūvara-liṅga
• Prapitāmaha (liṅga/area)
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is presented as a sacred itinerary: honoring Devī and Śiva-liṅgas in prescribed spatial order harmonizes devotion with place-power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kūbjā Devī connected with the Nalakūvara-liṅga, positioned with reference to the Prapitāmaha shrine in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā (worship) of Kūbjā Devī at the specified location relative to Nalakūvara-liṅga and Prapitāmaha.