Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 121

Devanagari script

ओंकारसदृशं लिंगं न क्वचिज्जगतीतले । इति गौर्यै समाख्यातं देवदेवेन निश्चितम्

Transliteration

oṃkārasadṛśaṃ liṃgaṃ na kvacijjagatītale | iti gauryai samākhyātaṃ devadevena niścitam

Translation

На лике земли нигде нет Лингама, равного образу Омкары. Так Девов Дев (Девадева) возвестил это Гаури как установленную истину.

Word by Word

• ओंकारसदृशम्: similar to Oṃkāra
• ओंकारसदृशम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ओंकार + सदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—ओंकारस्य सदृशम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• क्वचित्: anywhere
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• जगतीतले: on the surface of the earth
• जगतीतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगती + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—जगत्याः तलम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• गौर्यै: to Gaurī
• गौर्यै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• समाख्यातम्: was explained/declared
• समाख्यातम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + ख्या (धातु) → समाख्यात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘(इदं) समाख्यातम्’ = was declared

• देवदेवेन: by the God of gods
• देवदेवेन: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—देवानां देवः (देवदेवः)

• निश्चितम्: determined/ascertained
• निश्चितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + चि (धातु) → निश्चित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘निश्चितम्’ = firmly determined

Speaker

Skanda (narrating what Śiva said to Gaurī; deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Oṅkāreśvara / Oṃkāra-liṅga (Kāśī)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Gaurī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Devadeva) instructs Gaurī, pointing to an Oṃkāra-shaped liṅga radiating light; the sacred cityscape of Kāśī frames the revelation, with subtle mantra glyphs in the aura.

Characters & Entities

• Oṃkāra (Praṇava)
• Liṅga
• Gaurī (Pārvatī)
• Devadeva (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Praṇava (Oṃ) is presented as a supreme spiritual principle, and the Oṃkāra-like Liṅga is praised as uniquely exalted.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context is Kāśī-kṣetra’s Liṅga tradition, highlighting an Oṃkāra-sadṛśa Liṅga celebrated within Kāśī Mahātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse is a doctrinal glorification (stuti) of the Liṅga’s unparalleled status.