Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तत्रैव कुक्कुटेशाख्यं लिंगं वापीसमीपगम् । तस्य पूजनतः पुंसां कुटुंबं परिवर्धते

Transliteration

tatraiva kukkuṭeśākhyaṃ liṃgaṃ vāpīsamīpagam | tasya pūjanataḥ puṃsāṃ kuṭuṃbaṃ parivardhate

Translation

तेथेच वापीजवळ ‘कुक्कुटेश’ नावाचे लिंग आहे. त्याचे पूजन केल्याने पुरुषांचे कुटुंब व वंश वाढत-फुलत जातो।

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis)

• कुक्कुटेशाख्यम्: called ‘Kukkuṭeśa’
• कुक्कुटेशाख्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुक्कुटेश (प्रातिपदिक: कुक्कुट + ईश) + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘लिङ्गम्’); ‘कुक्कुटेश’ इति आख्या यस्य

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• वापी: pond/tank
• वापी: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• समीपगम्: situated near
• समीपगम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समीप (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘लिङ्गम्’); ‘समीपे गच्छति/स्थितम्’ = near

• तस्य: of it/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• पूजनतः: from worship
• पूजनतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (cause: ‘from/by worship’)

• पुंसाम्: of men
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस्/पुम्स् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• कुटुम्बम्: family/household
• कुटुम्बम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुटुम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• परिवर्धते: increases
• परिवर्धते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + वर्ध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kukkuṭeśa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vātāpitāpana

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small liṅga shrine named Kukkuṭeśa beside a pond; a householder couple offers flowers and lamp, praying for family prosperity.

Characters & Entities

• Kukkuṭeśa
• Jyeṣṭheśvara (context)
• Vāpī (pond/tank)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaiva worship in Kāśī supports not only liberation-oriented devotion but also righteous worldly stability—family welfare aligned with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kukkuṭeśa liṅga, located near a sacred pond (vāpī) in the Jyeṣṭheśvara area of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā (formal worship) of Kukkuṭeśa for the flourishing of one’s household.