Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

रत्नाकरे रत्नसंख्या संख्याविद्भिरपीष्यते । लिंगप्रतिष्ठा पुण्यस्य न तु संख्येति लिख्यते

Transliteration

ratnākare ratnasaṃkhyā saṃkhyāvidbhirapīṣyate | liṃgapratiṣṭhā puṇyasya na tu saṃkhyeti likhyate

Translation

ରତ୍ନାକରରେ ରତ୍ନର ସଂଖ୍ୟାକୁ ସଂଖ୍ୟାବିଦ୍ମାନେ ମଧ୍ୟ ସ୍ୱୀକାର କରନ୍ତି; କିନ୍ତୁ ଶିବଲିଙ୍ଗ-ପ୍ରତିଷ୍ଠାର ପୁଣ୍ୟ ସଂଖ୍ୟାରେ ଲେଖାଯାଇପାରେ ନାହିଁ।

Word by Word

• रत्नाकरे: in the ocean (mine) of jewels
• रत्नाकरे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्नाकर (प्रातिपदिक; रत्न + आकर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• रत्नसंख्या: the number of jewels
• रत्नसंख्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्नसंख्या (प्रातिपदिक; रत्न + संख्या)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• संख्याविद्भिः: by those who know counting
• संख्याविद्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्याविद् (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या + विद् ‘knower’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थ (even)

• ईष्यते: is sought/ascertained
• ईष्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ईष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘is desired/considered’

• लिङ्गप्रतिष्ठा: establishment of the liṅga
• लिङ्गप्रतिष्ठा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्गप्रतिष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक; लिङ्ग + प्रतिष्ठा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पुण्यस्य: of merit
• पुण्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थ (but, however)

• संख्या: number, counting
• संख्या: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (quoted as term)

• इति: thus (as)
• इति: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उद्धरणचिह्न (quotative)

• लिख्यते: is written/recorded
• लिख्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लिख् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि (passive)

Speaker

Puṇyakīrti (likely begins doctrinal speech here; deduced from 80)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher proclaims that gems can be counted but the merit of liṅga-pratiṣṭhā cannot; imagery juxtaposes an ocean of jewels with a radiant Śiva-liṅga being established and worshipped.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual acts rooted in devotion—especially consecrating the Śiva-liṅga—generate merit beyond ordinary calculation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s sacred Śaiva landscape is implied; liṅga-pratiṣṭhā is presented as exceptionally meritorious in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa milieu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (installation and consecration of a Śiva-liṅga) is explicitly referenced as a supreme merit-yielding act.