Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । कुंभसंभव वक्ष्यामि शृणोत्ववहितो भवान् । कपर्दीशस्य लिंगस्य महामाहात्म्यमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | kuṃbhasaṃbhava vakṣyāmi śṛṇotvavahito bhavān | kapardīśasya liṃgasya mahāmāhātmyamuttamam

Translation

സ്കന്ദൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ കുംഭസംബവ (അഗസ്ത്യ), ഞാൻ പ്രസ്താവിക്കുന്നു; നിങ്ങൾ ശ്രദ്ധയോടെ കേൾക്കുക. കപർദീശന്റെ ലിംഗത്തിന്റെ പരമോത്തമ മഹാമാഹാത്മ്യം ഞാൻ വിവരിക്കും।

Word by Word

• स्कन्दः: Skanda
• स्कन्दः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• कुम्भसम्भव: O Pot-born one (Agastya)
• कुम्भसम्भव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कुम्भात् सम्भवः)

• वक्ष्यामि: I shall tell
• वक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• शृणोतु: let (him/you) hear
• शृणोतु: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आज्ञार्थे (let him/please)

• अवहितः: attentive
• अवहितः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; अव + धा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying भवान्)

• भवान्: you (honored one)
• भवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; आदरार्थक-प्रयोग (honorific pronoun)

• कपर्दीशस्य: of Kapardīśa (Śiva)
• कपर्दीशस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपर्दिन् + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कपर्दिनः ईशः)

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• महामाहात्म्यम्: the great glory
• महामाहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् माहात्म्यम्)

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying महामाहात्म्यम्)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapardīśa Liṅga (māhātmya introduction)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Kumbhasambhava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda as divine teacher addressing Agastya (Kumbhasambhava) seated in hermitage posture; behind them a faint vision of a Kāśī liṅga-shrine, indicating the forthcoming Kapardīśa māhātmya.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya (Kumbhasambhava)
• Kapardīśa
• Liṅga
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa frames Kāśī’s holiness through specific liṅga-māhātmyas, inviting attentive hearing and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapardīśa (Kapardīśvara) Liṅga in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite here; it introduces a māhātmya meant to be heard with attention (śravaṇa).