Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

मृदु हस्ततलेनैव यावत्खनति वै मुनिः । तावच्छ्रीफलमात्रं हि लिंगं तेन समीक्षितम्

Transliteration

mṛdu hastatalenaiva yāvatkhanati vai muniḥ | tāvacchrīphalamātraṃ hi liṃgaṃ tena samīkṣitam

Translation

ମୁନି ମୃଦୁ ହସ୍ତତଳରେ ଅଳ୍ପ ଖୋଦିବାମାତ୍ରେ, ବିଲ୍ୱଫଳ ପରିମାଣର ଗୋଟିଏ ଲିଙ୍ଗ ତାଙ୍କ ଦୃଷ୍ଟିଗୋଚର ହେଲା।

Word by Word

• मृदु: gently, with a soft (hand)
• मृदु: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृदु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन (करणविशेषणरूपेण) / अथवा अव्ययवत् प्रयोग; ‘soft/gently’

• हस्ततलेन: with the palm
• हस्ततलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्ततल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: हस्तस्य तलम्

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (only/just)

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; यावद्-कालपरिमाण (as long as/while)

• खनति: digs
• खनति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √खन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

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

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तावत्: so long, to that extent
• तावत्: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तावद्-परिमाण (so much/for that long)

• श्रीफल: coconut
• श्रीफल: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीफल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग; ‘श्रियाः फलम्’/‘श्री-फल’ (coconut)

• मात्रम्: only as much as, merely
• मात्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक (only as much as)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (indeed/for)

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

• तेन: by him/with that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• समीक्षितम्: was observed/seen
• समीक्षितम्: Kriya (Passive predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √ईक्ष् (धातु) उपसर्ग: सम् + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्तान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग: ‘was seen/observed’

Speaker

Skanda (narration; deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gupta-liṅga (bilva-phala-mātra) in Kāśī (as revealed)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage kneels and gently scrapes earth with his palm; a small liṅga, bilva-fruit sized, emerges from the soil, faintly luminous; the ant remains nearby as witness.

Characters & Entities

• muni (sage)
• Śiva liṅga
• bilva fruit (chrīphala)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divinity can be present in subtle, hidden forms; humility and gentleness unveil sacred reality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative points toward Ānandakānana within Kāśī, where a liṅga is discovered.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The act described is not a ritual but a reverent uncovering that leads into worship of the liṅga.