Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

प्रयागसंज्ञकम लिंगमर्चितम ब्रह्मलोकदम् । तत्र शांतिकरी गौरी पूजिता शांतिकृद्भवेत्

Transliteration

prayāgasaṃjñakama liṃgamarcitama brahmalokadam | tatra śāṃtikarī gaurī pūjitā śāṃtikṛdbhavet

Translation

‘പ്രയാഗ’ എന്ന നാമത്തിലുള്ള ലിംഗത്തെ ഭക്തിയോടെ ആരാധിച്ചാൽ ബ്രഹ്മലോകപ്രാപ്തി ലഭിക്കുന്നു. അവിടെ ശാന്തികരീ ഗൗരിയെ പൂജിച്ചാൽ അവൾ ശാന്തിയും ശമനവും പ്രസാദിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• प्रयाग-संज्ञकम्: named ‘Prayāga’
• प्रयाग-संज्ञकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (having the designation/name of Prayāga)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अर्चितम्: worshipped
• अर्चितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्च् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• ब्रह्म-लोक-दम्: granting Brahma-loka
• ब्रह्म-लोक-दम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्म (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक, ‘giver’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (giver of Brahma-world)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• शान्ति-करī: peace-bestowing
• शान्ति-करī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (maker of peace)

• गौरी: Gaurī (Pārvatī)
• गौरी: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूजिता: when worshipped
• पूजिता: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (गौरी-विशेषण)

• शान्ति-कृत्: peace-causing
• शान्ति-कृत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत् (प्रातिपदिक, ‘doer’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (maker of peace)

• भवेत्: would become / would be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prayāga-saṃjñaka Liṅga (in Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī lane-temple interior: a black stone liṅga labeled ‘Prayāga’ adorned with bilva and white flowers; beside it Śāntikarī Gaurī seated, serene, granting peace; pilgrims with folded hands and lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Prayāga (name of a liṅga/tīrtha in Kāśī)
• Śiva-liṅga
• Brahmaloka
• Gaurī (Śāntikarī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sacred sites unite Śiva-worship with Devī-worship, granting both higher worlds (Brahmaloka) and immediate inner peace (śānti).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘Prayāga’ named Śiva-liṅga within the Kāśī sacred circuit, along with the nearby Śāntikarī Gaurī shrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arcana (worship) of the Prayāga-liṅga and pūjā of Śāntikarī Gaurī for the fruit of Brahmaloka and pacification.