Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

प्राप्य रत्नावली गौरि सा जन्मांतरवासनाम् । रत्नेश्वरस्य लिंगस्य जग्राह नियमं शुभम्

Transliteration

prāpya ratnāvalī gauri sā janmāṃtaravāsanām | ratneśvarasya liṃgasya jagrāha niyamaṃ śubham

Translation

Wahai Gaurī, setelah menjadi Ratnāvalī, dia memperoleh kembali kesan batin dari kelahiran terdahulu, lalu mengambil niyama yang suci dan berkat, berpusat pada Liṅga Ratneśvara.

Word by Word

• प्राप्य: having obtained
• प्राप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (क्त्वान्त) — Absolutive/gerund

• रत्नावली: Ratnāvalī (name)
• रत्नावली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + आवली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Nominative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रत्नानाम् आवली)

• गौरि: O Gaurī
• गौरि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — Vocative singular

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• जन्मान्तरवासनाम्: the latent impression from a previous birth
• जन्मान्तरवासनाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + वासना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Accusative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जन्मान्तरस्य वासना)

• रत्नेश्वरस्य: of Ratneśvara
• रत्नेश्वरस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन — Genitive singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रत्नानाम् ईश्वरः)

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• जग्राह: accepted/took up
• जग्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्ण), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Perfect, 3rd person singular

• नियमम्: a vow/observance
• नियमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Accusative singular; विशेषणम् (नियमम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya; vocative ‘Gauri’ indicates address within narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ratneśvara

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Gaurī (addressed) and/or the sage within the narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ratnāvalī, newly aware of past-life pull, stands before a radiant jewel-like liṅga; she takes a vow (niyama) with folded hands, while her companions witness. The liṅga gleams like a gem, lamps and bilva leaves nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Ratnāvalī
• Gaurī
• Ratneśvara
• Liṅga
• Niyama (vow)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Past-life devotional tendencies can reawaken and mature into firm vows directed toward a sacred liṅga and holy place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ratneśvara Liṅga in Kāśī is explicitly central, presented as a focus for auspicious observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Taking up a niyama (vow/observance) specifically connected to Ratneśvara-liṅga worship is stated.