Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

चतुर्वक्त्रेश्वरं लिंगं ब्राह्मीशस्तु ततः परः । ततो मनःप्रकामेश ईशानेशस्ततः परम्

Transliteration

caturvaktreśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ brāhmīśastu tataḥ paraḥ | tato manaḥprakāmeśa īśāneśastataḥ param

Translation

ചതുര്വക്ത്രേശ്വര ലിംഗം ദർശിക്കണം; അതിന് ശേഷം ബ്രാഹ്മീശൻ. തുടർന്ന് മനഃപ്രകാമേശൻ, പിന്നെ അതിനപ്പുറം ഈശാനേശൻ.

Word by Word

• चतुर्वक्त्रेश्वरम्: Caturvaktreśvara
• चतुर्वक्त्रेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• ब्राह्मीशः: Brāhmīśa
• ब्राह्मीशः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मी (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: and/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषबोधक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverb)

• परः: next; subsequent
• परः: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverb)

• मनःप्रकामेशः: Manaḥprakāmeśa
• मनःप्रकामेशः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रकाम (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ईशानेशः: Īśāneśa
• ईशानेशः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverb)

• परम्: further; next
• परम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative) एकवचन (Singular); क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbially: further)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Caturvaktreśvara; Brāhmīśa; Manaḥprakāmeśa; Īśāneśa (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Four-faced symbolism (Caturvaktreśvara) shown as a liṅga with a subtle four-directional aura; then a Brahmā-associated shrine; then a devotee praying for purified desires at Manaḥprakāmeśa; finally a serene Īśāna shrine oriented to the northeast with cool, luminous light.

Characters & Entities

• Caturvaktreśvara
• Brāhmīśa
• Manaḥprakāmeśa
• Īśāneśa
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva in Kāśī is praised through many forms—cosmic (four-faced), Vedic (Brāhmīśa), inner (mind’s fulfillment), and directional/Īśāna—showing the path from outer worship to inner grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The liṅgas Caturvaktreśvara, Brāhmīśa, Manaḥprakāmeśa, and Īśāneśa within Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana of a sequence of liṅgas; the verse frames a route (‘thereafter/beyond that’) rather than a separate rite.