Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

मुने रहस्यभूतानि र्लिगान्येतानि निश्चितम् । एतल्लिंगप्रभावाच्च मुक्तिरत्र सुनिश्चिता

Transliteration

mune rahasyabhūtāni rligānyetāni niścitam | etalliṃgaprabhāvācca muktiratra suniścitā

Translation

ഹേ മുനേ, ഈ ലിംഗങ്ങൾ നിശ്ചയമായും രഹസ്യസ്വഭാവമുള്ളവയാണ്. ഈ ലിംഗങ്ങളുടെ പ്രഭാവത്താൽ കാശിയിൽ ഇവിടെ മോക്ഷം സംശയമില്ലാതെ ഉറപ്പാണ്.

Word by Word

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — Vocative singular

• रहस्यभूतानि: having become secret; secret in nature
• रहस्यभूतानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रहस्य (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (कृदन्त; भू धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन — Nominative plural; विशेषण (qualifier)

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas (emblems)
• लिङ्गानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन — Nominative plural

• एतानि: these
• एतानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन — Nominative plural; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• निश्चितम्: is निश्चित/ascertained
• निश्चितम्: Kriya-visheshana / Predicative (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चित (कृदन्त; नि+√चि (चिन्तने/निश्चये) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन — Nom./Acc. singular; भावे/विधेय-विशेषण (predicative)

• एतत्: of this
• एतत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन — Genitive singular (in compound)

• लिङ्गप्रभावात्: from the power/effect of the liṅga
• लिङ्गप्रभावात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन — Ablative singular

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• सुनिश्चिता: is well-assured/certain
• सुनिश्चिता: Kriya-visheshana / Predicative (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुनिश्चित (कृदन्त; सु + नि+√चि + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Nominative singular; विधेय-विशेषण (agrees with मुक्तिः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogues commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni (sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage is addressed while the sacred city of Kāśī is envisioned as filled with multiple subtle, ‘secret’ liṅgas radiating spiritual power; the atmosphere is inward, luminous, and certain in tone.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Liṅga
• Mukti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s Śiva-liṅgas are presented as esoteric sources of grace, and their spiritual efficacy is said to guarantee liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), praised as a place where the power of Śiva’s liṅgas bestows mokṣa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is named; the emphasis is on the salvific power of the liṅgas of Kāśī (implying worship/śraddhā toward them).