Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अमृतेश्वरनामेदं लिंगमानंदकानने । एतल्लिंगस्य संस्पर्शादमृतत्वं लभेद्ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

amṛteśvaranāmedaṃ liṃgamānaṃdakānane | etalliṃgasya saṃsparśādamṛtatvaṃ labheddhruvam

Translation

ആനന്ദകാനനത്തിലെ ഈ ലിംഗത്തിന് ‘അമൃതേശ്വര’ എന്ന നാമമാണ്. ഈ ലിംഗത്തെ സ്പർശിച്ചാൽ നിശ്ചയമായി അമൃതത്വം (മരണരഹിതാവസ്ഥ) ലഭിക്കും.

Word by Word

• अमृतेश्वरनाम: named ‘Amṛteśvara’
• अमृतेश्वरनाम: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृतेश्वर + नाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अमृतेश्वरस्य नाम)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• आनन्दकानने: in the Ānandakānana (forest of bliss)
• आनन्दकानने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्द + कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आनन्दस्य काननम्)

• एतत्: of this
• एतत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (एतल्लिङ्गस्य = एतत् + लिङ्गस्य)

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

• संस्पर्शात्: from (the act of) touching
• संस्पर्शात्: Apadana (Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संस्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादानार्थे (कारण/हेतु)

• अमृतत्वम्: immortality
• अमृतत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृतत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa speaker to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Amṛteśvara (liṅga) in Ānandakānana

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / interlocutor addressed as ‘munīśvara’ in the passage

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within the shaded sacred grove of Ānandakānana, a radiant liṅga named Amṛteśvara stands on a pedestal, emitting a cool, nectar-like aura; a devotee reaches out in reverent touch as unseen devas shower subtle blossoms.

Characters & Entities

• Amṛteśvara
• Śiva liṅga
• Ānandakānana
• Kāśī (Varanasi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contact with Śiva in a sanctified place symbolizes liberation from mortality—spiritual deathlessness through divine grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānandakānana in Kāśī, specifically the Amṛteśvara liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse emphasizes saṃsparśa (reverent touch) of the liṅga as a merit-bearing act, implying darśana and upacāra-pūjā.