Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

घंटाकर्णेश्वरं लिंगं घंटाकर्ण गणोत्तमः । काश्यां संस्थाप्य विधिवत्स्वयं तत्रैव निर्वृतः

Transliteration

ghaṃṭākarṇeśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ ghaṃṭākarṇa gaṇottamaḥ | kāśyāṃ saṃsthāpya vidhivatsvayaṃ tatraiva nirvṛtaḥ

Translation

ഗണോത്തമനായ ഘണ്ടാകർണ്ണൻ കാശിയിൽ വിധിപൂർവ്വം ഘണ്ടാകർണ്ണേശ്വര ലിംഗം സ്ഥാപിച്ചു; താനും അവിടെയേ തന്നെ തൃപ്തിയും ശാന്തിയും പ്രാപിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• घण्टाकर्णेश्वरम्: (the) Lord of Ghaṇṭākarṇa
• घण्टाकर्णेश्वरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घण्टाकर्ण + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (घण्टाकर्णस्य ईश्वरः) विशेषणत्वेन

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

• घण्टाकर्णः: Ghaṇṭākarṇa
• घण्टाकर्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घण्टाकर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• गणोत्तमः: the best of the gaṇas
• गणोत्तमः: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गणानाम् उत्तमः)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• संस्थाप्य: having installed/established
• संस्थाप्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• विधिवत्: properly, as prescribed
• विधिवत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: according to rule)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Karta-visheshana (Agent-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मवाचक (reflexive adverb: oneself)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb: there)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• निर्वृतः: became content/at peace
• निर्वृतः: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर् + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past passive participle used predicatively), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ghaṃṭākarṇeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ghaṃṭākarṇa, a prominent gaṇa, performs formal installation of a liṅga named Ghaṃṭākarṇeśvara in Kāśī; priests, vessels, flowers, and sacred fire implied; the gaṇa’s face shows peace after completion.

Characters & Entities

• Ghaṃṭākarṇeśvara
• Ghaṃṭākarṇa
• Kāśī
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritually grounded establishment of Śiva’s liṅga in Kāśī culminates in inner fulfillment (nirvṛti) and steadfast sacred dwelling.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ghaṃṭākarṇeśvara-liṅga in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vidhivat saṃsthāpana—proper consecration/installation of the liṅga.