Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

स्वाख्यांकितं महालिंगं प्रतिष्ठाप्यातिभक्तितः । स्वच्छ सूर्योपलमयतेजः पुंजैरिवार्चितम्

Transliteration

svākhyāṃkitaṃ mahāliṃgaṃ pratiṣṭhāpyātibhaktitaḥ | svaccha sūryopalamayatejaḥ puṃjairivārcitam

Translation

Установив с величайшей преданностью великий Линга, отмеченный его собственным именем, он почитал его, словно осыпая гроздьями чистого, солнечно-кристального сияния.

Word by Word

• svākhyāṃkitam: inscribed with his own name
• svākhyāṃkitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhyā (प्रातिपदिक) + √aṅk (अङ्क्) (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः (स्व-आख्यया अङ्कितम्)

• mahāliṅgam: the great liṅga
• mahāliṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महच्च तत् लिङ्गम्)

• pratiṣṭhāpya: having installed
• pratiṣṭhāpya: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati + √sthā (स्था) + ṇic (णिच्) (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund); causative sense ‘having installed/established’

• atibhaktitaḥ: out of great devotion
• atibhaktitaḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ati (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव; पञ्चमी-तसिल्-अर्थे अव्यय (from/through excessive devotion)

• svaccha: pure, clear
• svaccha: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svaccha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन/एकवचन-सम्बन्धे; विशेषण (tejaḥpuṃjaiḥ)

• sūryopala: sun-stone (sūryakānta)
• sūryopala: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūrya (प्रातिपदिक) + upala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-पूर्वपद; समासपूर्वपद (सूर्यस्य उपलः)

• maya: made of
• maya: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तद्धित (मयट्) ‘made of’—समासाङ्ग

• tejaḥ: splendor
• tejaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद

• puṃjaiḥ: with heaps/masses
• puṃjaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṃja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• iva: as if/like
• iva: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक

• arcitam: worshipped/honored
• arcitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √arc (अर्च्) (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: With intense devotion, the Sun’s son installs a great liṅga inscribed with his own name and worships it amid clusters of pure, sun-bright crystal-like radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva Liṅga
• Dharma/Yama (implied installer/worshipper)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti expressed through Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā and worship becomes a direct means to sanctify one’s life and align with Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as the Shaiva field where installing and worshipping a Liṅga is portrayed as especially potent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (installation) and arcana (worship) performed with intense devotion.