Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

गणेन पिंगलाख्येन पिंगलाख्येशसंज्ञितम् । लिंगं प्रतिष्ठितं शंभोः कपर्दीशादुदग्दिशि

Transliteration

gaṇena piṃgalākhyena piṃgalākhyeśasaṃjñitam | liṃgaṃ pratiṣṭhitaṃ śaṃbhoḥ kapardīśādudagdiśi

Translation

പിംഗല എന്ന ഗണൻ ശംഭുവിന്റെ ഒരു ലിംഗം പ്രതിഷ്ഠിച്ചു; അത് ‘പിംഗലാഖ്യേശ’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധമായി; കപർദീശനിൽ നിന്ന് ഉത്തരദിശയിലാണ് അത്।

Word by Word

• गणेन: by a gaṇa (attendant-group)
• गणेन: Karana (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/कर्ता-हेतु), एकवचन

• पिङ्गलाख्येन: named Piṅgala
• पिङ्गलाख्येन: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (पिङ्गलम् आख्यं यस्य = named Piṅgala); विशेषणम् (गणेन)

• पिङ्गलाख्येशसंज्ञितम्: designated as ‘Piṅgalākhyeśa’
• पिङ्गलाख्येशसंज्ञितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिङ्गलाख्य (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: पिङ्गलाख्य-ईश इति संज्ञा यस्य/यत्; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम्)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्मणि-प्रयोगे कर्तृस्थानी/subject), एकवचन

• प्रतिष्ठितम्: was established
• प्रतिष्ठितम्: Kriya (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति√स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः (having been established)

• शम्भोः: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• कपर्दीशात्: from Kapardīśa
• कपर्दीशात्: Apadana (Source/Reference point)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपर्दीश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन

• उदक्: north
• उदक्: Dik (Directional qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उदक्/उत्तर (अव्यय/दिक्शब्द)
• Form: दिग्वाचक-अव्यय (directional term: northward)

• दिशि: in the direction
• दिशि: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Piṅgalākhyeśa

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Kumbhayoni)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṇa Piṅgala installs a radiant liṅga named Piṅgalākhyeśa; a subtle map-like composition shows Kapardīśa as the reference point with the new shrine to its north.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Piṅgala (gaṇa)
• Piṅgalākhyeśa (liṅga)
• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Kapardīśa
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The holiness of Kāśī is mapped through named liṅgas, turning geography into a devotional pathway.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Piṅgalākhyeśa-liṅga in Kāśī, located north of Kapardīśa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā is described as already done; no direct instruction is given in this verse.