Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

नानाधातुमयानीशे दार्षदान्यप्यनेकशः । स्वयंभून्यप्यनेकानि देवर्षिस्थापितान्यहो

Transliteration

nānādhātumayānīśe dārṣadānyapyanekaśaḥ | svayaṃbhūnyapyanekāni devarṣisthāpitānyaho

Translation

ഹേ ദേവീ! പല ലിംഗങ്ങളും നാനാധാതുക്കളാൽ നിർമ്മിതം, പലതും കല്ലുകൊണ്ടുള്ളതും. പലത് സ്വയംഭൂ, കൂടാതെ പലത്—അഹോ അത്ഭുതം—ദേവർഷിമാർ സ്ഥാപിച്ചതുമാണ്।

Word by Word

• nānādhātumayāni: made of various minerals/metals
• nānādhātumayāni: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nānā-dhātu-maya (प्रातिपदिकानि: nānā + dhātu + maya)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘-maya’ = made of

• īśe: in (the realm of) Īśa / the Lord
• īśe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; संबोधनार्थे/स्थानवाचक प्रयोगः (here: ‘in/at Īśa’ i.e., in the Lord’s domain)

• dārṣadāni: made of stone
• dārṣadāni: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dārṣada (प्रातिपदिक; dṛṣad ‘stone’ से)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘stone-made’

• api: also
• api: Sambandha/Avadhāraṇa (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• anekaśaḥ: in many ways; manifold
• anekaśaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anekaśas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); ‘in many ways/many times’

• svayaṃbhūni: self-born/self-manifest
• svayaṃbhūni: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svayaṃ-bhū (प्रातिपदिक; svayam + bhū)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘self-manifest’

• api: also
• api: Sambandha/Avadhāraṇa (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• anekāni: many
• anekāni: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aneka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• devarṣisthāpitāni: established by divine sages
• devarṣisthāpitāni: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: deva-ṛṣi-sthāpita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; deva + ṛṣi + sthāpita; √sthā (धातु) caus. sthāpaya + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; कर्मणि भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘established’

• aho: ah! indeed!
• aho: Bhāva (Exclamation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयादिबोधक निपात (exclamatory particle)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandakānana (Avimukta/Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequence of shrines: metallic liṅgas gleaming (copper, bronze, gold-like), stone liṅgas weathered and ancient, and a radiant svayambhū liṅga emerging from earth; sages perform consecration rites.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Devarṣi (divine seers)
• Svayaṃbhū-liṅga
• Kāśī
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holiness in Kāśī is not limited by material form—metal, stone, self-manifest, or sage-installed—each liṅga is a valid locus for Śiva’s grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider Kāśī-kṣetra, especially Ānandakānana, as a field dense with varied liṅgas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, liṅga-pratiṣṭhā by ṛṣis is acknowledged; the detailed ritual is not stated in this verse.