Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

प्रणमिष्यंति यत्नेन महाश्रेयोभिवृद्धये । संति लिंगान्यनेकानि काश्यां देवि पदेपदे

Transliteration

praṇamiṣyaṃti yatnena mahāśreyobhivṛddhaye | saṃti liṃgānyanekāni kāśyāṃ devi padepade

Translation

…महाश्रेयाच्या वृद्धीसाठी तो त्यांना प्रयत्नपूर्वक नमस्कार करील. हे देवी, काशीत तर पावलोपावली अनेक लिंगे आहेत.

Word by Word

• प्रणमिष्यन्ति: will bow down
• प्रणमिष्यन्ति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √नम् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• यत्नेन: with effort
• यत्नेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण

• महाश्रेयोभिवृद्धये: for the increase of great welfare
• महाश्रेयोभिवृद्धये: Sampradāna/Prayojana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā-श्रेयस्-अभि-वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन (dative of purpose)

• सन्ति: are/exist
• सन्ति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• लिंगानि: liṅgas
• लिंगानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• अनेकानि: many
• अनेकानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (लिङ्गानि-विशेषण)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (स्थान)

• देवि: O देवी
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• पदेपदे: at every step
• पदेपदे: Adhikaraṇa (Distributive location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पदे-पदे (प्रातिपदिक; पद)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास/पुनरुक्त-अव्यय: सप्तमी-अर्थे ‘प्रत्येक पग पर/हर कदम पर’

Speaker

Maheśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (with Narmadeśvara-liṅga context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed as ‘devi’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bustling Kāśī street/ghat where countless small liṅga shrines appear at doorways and corners; pilgrims bow repeatedly; Yama is shown respectfully saluting a group of Narmadeśvara devotees.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Liṅgas
• Devī
• Sūryanandana (Yama)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is depicted as saturated with Śiva-presence, making reverence and humility spiritually transformative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is explicitly glorified as filled with liṅgas everywhere.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praṇāma (bowing/salutation) is praised as a means to increase mahā-śreyas (great spiritual welfare).