Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

पूजयिष्यंति ये लिंगं रत्नेशं कामवर्जिताः । ते सर्वे मद्गणा भूत्वा प्रांते द्रक्ष्यंति मामिह

Transliteration

pūjayiṣyaṃti ye liṃgaṃ ratneśaṃ kāmavarjitāḥ | te sarve madgaṇā bhūtvā prāṃte drakṣyaṃti māmiha

Translation

காமவாசனை அற்றவராய் ரத்னேச லிங்கத்தை வழிபடுவோர் அனைவரும் என் கணங்களாய் ஆகி, உயிர் முடிவில் இப்புண்ணியத் தலத்திலேயே என்னைத் தரிசிப்பர்।

Word by Word

• pūjayiṣyanti: they will worship
• pūjayiṣyanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)

• ye: who (those who)
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन (plural); सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• liṅgam: the liṅga
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• ratneśam: Ratneśa (Lord of gems)
• ratneśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratna + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ratnānām īśaḥ)

• kāma-varjitāḥ: free from desire
• kāma-varjitāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāma + varjita (कृदन्त; √vṛj/varj धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन (plural); उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (kāmena varjitāḥ)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन (plural); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• sarve: all
• sarve: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन (plural)

• mad-gaṇāḥ: my attendants
• mad-gaṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mad (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन (plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (mama gaṇāḥ)

• bhūtvā: having become
• bhūtvā: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal form)

• prānte: at the end
• prānte: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prānta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन (singular)

• drakṣyanti: they will see
• drakṣyanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम (1st person pronoun), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ratneśa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene Kāśī shrine with the Ratneśa liṅga adorned; devotees with calm faces offer bilva and water, renouncing desire; Śiva’s subtle presence is hinted as a luminous form promising final darśana.

Characters & Entities

• Ratneśvara
• Śiva (implied by ‘My gaṇas’ in liṅga context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desireless worship transforms devotion into liberation-oriented grace—culminating in divine proximity and vision.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ratneśa (Ratneśvara) Liṅga in Kāśī’s Avimukta Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā of the Ratneśa Liṅga, specifically with kāma-varjana (freedom from selfish desire).