Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । अन्येपि ये गणास्तत्र काश्यां लिंगानि चक्रिरे । तांश्च ते कथयिष्यामि कुंभयोने निशामय

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | anyepi ye gaṇāstatra kāśyāṃ liṃgāni cakrire | tāṃśca te kathayiṣyāmi kuṃbhayone niśāmaya

Translation

സ്കന്ദൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—കാശിയിൽ അവിടെ മറ്റു ഗണങ്ങളും ലിംഗങ്ങൾ സ്ഥാപിച്ചു. ഹേ കുംഭയോനി, ശ്രവിക്ക; അവയും ഞാൻ നിന്നോട് പറയാം।

Word by Word

• स्कन्दः: Skanda
• स्कन्दः: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• अन्ये: other
• अन्ये: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (गणाः)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• ये: who/which
• ये: Karta (Relative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• गणाः: groups/attendants
• गणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas (Śiva-emblems)
• लिङ्गानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• चक्रिरे: made/established
• चक्रिरे: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपदम्

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूपम्

• कथयिष्यामि: I will tell
• कथयिष्यामि: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कथय् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्/future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• कुम्भयोने: O Pot-born (Agastya)
• कुम्भयोने: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कुम्भस्य योनिḥ)

• निशामय: listen/attend
• निशामय: Kriya (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√शम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ/imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī liṅga-yātrā (gaṇa-pratiṣṭhita liṅgas)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kumbhayoni (Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda addresses Agastya, gesturing toward a sacred map of Kāśī where numerous liṅgas shine at different points, each linked to a gaṇa founder.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Gaṇa
• Liṅga
• Kumbhayoni (Agastya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is presented as a divinely organized sacred landscape where even Śiva’s gaṇas establish worshipful forms for devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as the field of liṅga-pratiṣṭhā and pilgrimage merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is prescribed; the verse introduces a descriptive catalogue of liṅgas and their māhātmya.