Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

ज्ञानेश्वरं तथैशान्यां ज्ञानदं सर्वदेहिनाम् । ऐश्वर्येशमुदीच्यां च लिंगाद्धर्मेश्वराच्छुभात्

Transliteration

jñāneśvaraṃ tathaiśānyāṃ jñānadaṃ sarvadehinām | aiśvaryeśamudīcyāṃ ca liṃgāddharmeśvarācchubhāt

Translation

ഇശാന്യ ദിക്കിൽ ‘ജ്ഞാനേശ്വര’ ലിംഗം ഉണ്ട്; അത് എല്ലാ ദേഹികള്ക്കും ജ്ഞാനം നൽകുന്നു. കൂടാതെ ഉത്തരദിക്കിൽ ‘ഐശ്വര്യേശ’ ഉണ്ട്—ഇവ രണ്ടും ശുഭമായ ധർമേശ്വര ലിംഗവുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ടു നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു.

Word by Word

• ज्ञानेश्वरम्: Jñāneśvara
• ज्ञानेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञानेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; ज्ञान + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• ईशान्याम्: in the north-east
• ईशान्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशानी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; दिग्वाचक

• ज्ञानदम्: giver of knowledge
• ज्ञानदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञानद (प्रातिपदिक; ज्ञान + द (√दा धातु))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (ज्ञानेश्वरम्)

• सर्वदेहिनाम्: of all embodied beings
• सर्वदेहिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-देहिन् (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + देहिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• ऐश्वर्येशम्: Aiśvaryeśa
• ऐश्वर्येशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐश्वर्येश (प्रातिपदिक; ऐश्वर्य + ईश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• उदीच्याम्: in the north
• उदीच्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदीची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; दिग्वाचक

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• लिङ्गात्: from the liṅga
• लिङ्गात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• धर्मेश्वरात्: from Dharmēśvara
• धर्मेश्वरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; धर्म + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• शुभात्: auspicious
• शुभात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गात्/धर्मेश्वरात्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jñāneśvara-liṅga (īśānya) and Aiśvaryeśa-liṅga (uttara) relative to Dharmeśa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kumbhaja (Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A schematic yet living mandala of Kāśī lanes: NE shrine of Jñāneśvara glowing with cool light (knowledge), N shrine of Aiśvaryeśa glowing with golden light (prosperity); Dharmeśa at center as stabilizing axis.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmeśvara
• Jñāneśvara
• Aiśvaryeśa
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s Śiva-liṅgas are mapped as sources of both jñāna (liberating knowledge) and aiśvarya (rightful flourishing).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jñāneśvara in the north-east and Aiśvaryeśa in the north, connected with the auspicious Dharmeśvara-liṅga complex.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, darśana/arcana of these liṅgas as part of the Kāśī pilgrimage circuit around Dharmeśvara.