Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

मोक्षक्षेत्रमिंदं काशी लिंगैरेतैर्मेहामते । एतान्यन्यानि सिद्धानि संभवंति युगेयुगे

Transliteration

mokṣakṣetramiṃdaṃ kāśī liṃgairetairmehāmate | etānyanyāni siddhāni saṃbhavaṃti yugeyuge

Translation

ਹੇ ਉੱਤਮ-ਮਤ ਵਾਲੇ, ਇਹ ਕਾਸ਼ੀ ਮੋਖਸ਼ ਦਾ ਖੇਤਰ ਹੈ—ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਲਿੰਗਾਂ ਰਾਹੀਂ। ਅਤੇ ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਵਰਗੀਆਂ ਹੋਰ ਸਿੱਧ ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਪ੍ਰਤੀਤੀਆਂ ਹਰ ਯੁਗ ਵਿੱਚ ਮੁੜ ਮੁੜ ਪ੍ਰਗਟ ਹੁੰਦੀਆਂ ਹਨ।

Word by Word

• मोक्षक्षेत्रम्: the field/place of liberation
• मोक्षक्षेत्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन — Nom./Acc. singular; विधेय/कर्मपद-सम्भावना

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन — Nom./Acc. singular; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• काशी: Kāśī (Varanasi)
• काशी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• लिङ्गैः: by/with the liṅgas
• लिङ्गैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural

• एतैः: by these
• एतैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन — Genitive singular (enclitic)

• अमते: in (my) view
• अमते: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन — Locative singular; 'अमते' = 'in (my) opinion/understanding'

• एतानि: these
• एतानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन — Nominative plural

• अन्यानि: other
• अन्यानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन — Nominative plural

• सिद्धानि: accomplished/established
• सिद्धानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिद्ध (कृदन्त; √सिध् (सिद्धौ) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन — Nominative plural; विधेय-विशेषण

• सम्भवन्ति: arise/come into being
• सम्भवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+√भू (भवति) (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Present indicative, 3rd person plural

• युगे: in a yuga
• युगे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन — Locative singular (in each yuga)

• युगे: in (every) yuga
• युगे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन — Locative singular; पुनरुक्ति (iteration)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogues commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (mokṣa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: noble-minded addressee (mahā-mate)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kāśī is depicted as a radiant mokṣa-kṣetra anchored by multiple liṅgas; behind it, a subtle cosmic wheel of yugas suggests recurring sacred manifestations across ages.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Mokṣa
• Liṅga
• Yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is affirmed as a mokṣa-kṣetra, and the tradition of sacred, perfected liṅgas is portrayed as recurring across cosmic ages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), explicitly named as the ‘field of liberation’ (mokṣakṣetra).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single ritual is prescribed; the teaching highlights the spiritual status of Kāśī and the liṅgas associated with it.