Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

यैरिदं प्रणतं लिंगं प्रणतास्ते सुरासुरैः । यस्यै केन प्रणामेन दिक्पालपदमल्पकम् । दिक्पालपदतः पातः पातः शिवनतेर्नहि

Transliteration

yairidaṃ praṇataṃ liṃgaṃ praṇatāste surāsuraiḥ | yasyai kena praṇāmena dikpālapadamalpakam | dikpālapadataḥ pātaḥ pātaḥ śivanaternahi

Translation

ഈ ലിംഗത്തിന് പ്രണാമം ചെയ്യുന്നവരെ ദേവന്മാരും അസുരന്മാരും പ്രണാമിക്കും. മറ്റൊരു വന്ദനത്തിലൂടെ ദിക്പാലപദം പോലൊരു ചെറുപദവി ലഭിക്കാം; ആ പദത്തിൽ നിന്ന് പതനം ഉണ്ടാകാം, എന്നാൽ ശിവനമസ്കാരത്തിൽ പതനം ഇല്ല.

Word by Word

• यैः: by whom
• यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धे (relative)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• प्रणतम्: bowed to
• प्रणतम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (bowed down to / saluted)

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• प्रणताः: are bowed/submit
• प्रणताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (having bowed)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• सुर-असुरैः: by gods and demons
• सुर-असुरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (सुराश्च असुराश्च)

• यस्यै: for whom/to whom
• यस्यै: Sampradana (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (relative)

• केन: by what?/by which
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; प्रश्न (interrogative)

• प्रणामेन: by a bow/salutation
• प्रणामेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणाम (प्रातिपदिक; pra√nam भावे)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• दिक्पाल-पदम्: the status/position of a guardian of directions
• दिक्पाल-पदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिक्पाल (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दिक्पालानां पदम्)

• अल्पकम्: small/insignificant
• अल्पकम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्पक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दिक्पाल-पदतः: from the post of a direction-guardian
• दिक्पाल-पदतः: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिक्पाल (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दिक्पालानां पदतः)

• पातः: a fall/downfall
• पातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात (प्रातिपदिक; √पत् भावे)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• पातः: a fall (indeed)
• पातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात (प्रातिपदिक; √पत् भावे)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition)

• शिव-नतेः: of bowing to Śiva
• शिव-नतेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + नति (प्रातिपदिक; √नम् भावे)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य नतेः)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; doctrinal comparison of fruits of reverence)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśvara Liṅga (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/devarṣi in Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee bows to the Viśveśvara liṅga; in response, devas and asuras alike are shown bowing to the devotee—while a separate vignette shows a dikpāla-like figure slipping from a celestial seat, illustrating ‘fall’ from office.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Surāḥ (Devas)
• Asurāḥ
• Dikpālas
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly and even celestial attainments can be unstable, but devotion expressed as bowing to Śiva is presented as spiritually unfailing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s Viśveśvara Liṅga is the implied object of praṇāma and praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praṇāma (prostration/salutation) to the Liṅga/Śiva is explicitly praised as a potent practice.