Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

जगाम काशीं निर्वाणराशिं विश्वेशपालिताम् । तत्र लिगं प्रतिष्ठाप्य स स्वनाम्ना बुधेश्वरम्

Transliteration

jagāma kāśīṃ nirvāṇarāśiṃ viśveśapālitām | tatra ligaṃ pratiṣṭhāpya sa svanāmnā budheśvaram

Translation

तो विश्वेशाने पालित, निर्वाणाचा खजिना अशी काशी येथे गेला। तेथे त्याने लिंगाची प्रतिष्ठापना करून आपल्या नावाने त्याला ‘बुधेश्वर’ असे नाम दिले।

Word by Word

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; perfect, 3rd person singular

• काशीम्: to Kāśī
• काशीम्: Karman (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; feminine, accusative singular

• निर्वाणराशिम्: the heap/mass of liberation (i.e., bestower of mokṣa)
• निर्वाणराशिम्: Karman (Apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक) + राशि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; masculine, accusative singular; apposition to ‘काशीम्’

• विश्वेशपालिताम्: protected by Viśveśa (Śiva)
• विश्वेशपालिताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्वेश (प्रातिपदिक) + पालित (पा धातु, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; adjective qualifying ‘काशीम्’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (locative adverb)

• लिङ्गम्: a liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; neuter, accusative singular

• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: having installed, established
• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया; absolutive

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; pronoun, masculine, nominative singular

• स्वनाम्ना: by his own name
• स्वनाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; instrumental singular; ‘by/with his own name’

• बुधेश्वरम्: Budheśvara
• बुधेश्वरम्: Karman (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; masculine, accusative singular; name of the installed liṅga

Speaker

Skanda (to Agastya, deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) – Budheśvara Liṅga

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Budha arrives at Kāśī’s sacred precincts; the city glows with spiritual radiance; Viśveśa’s presence is felt as protective aura; Budha installs a Śiva-liṅga and names it Budheśvara, performing consecration rites amid chanting and lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Viśveśa
• Śiva
• Budha
• Budheśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is celebrated as a mokṣa-kṣetra; establishing Śiva-worship there links personal striving to universal liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), protected by Viśveśa, and specifically the Budheśvara-liṅga within Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (installation/consecration) is described as Budha’s act of devotion in Kāśī.