Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

पितामहेश्वरं लिंगं गयातीर्थादिहागतम् । फल्ग्रुप्रभृतिभिस्तीर्थैः सार्धकोट्यष्टसंमितैः

Transliteration

pitāmaheśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ gayātīrthādihāgatam | phalgruprabhṛtibhistīrthaiḥ sārdhakoṭyaṣṭasaṃmitaiḥ

Translation

பிதாமஹேஸ்வரன் எனப்படும் லிங்கம் கயாதீர்த்தத்திலிருந்து இங்கு வந்தது; பல்஗ு முதலிய தீர்த்தங்களுடன் சேர்ந்து—எண்ணிக்கை எட்டரை கோடி.

Word by Word

• पितामहेश्वरम्: Pitāmaheśvara (Lord of Brahmā)
• पितामहेश्वरम्: Visheshana (Appositional qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—पितामहस्य ईश्वरः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गयातीर्थात्: from the Gayā pilgrimage-place
• गयातीर्थात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; समासः—गयायाः तीर्थम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• इह: here
• इह: Desha-adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• आगतम्: come/arrived
• आगतम्: Visheshana (Participial qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; लिङ्गम् इति विशेष्येण सह

• फल्ग्रुप्रभृतिभिः: with (those) beginning with Phalgu
• फल्ग्रुप्रभृतिभिः: Karana/Associative (सहकार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल्गु + प्रभृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—फल्गु-प्रभृतयः (‘beginning with Phalgu’)

• तीर्थैः: by/with pilgrimage-places
• तीर्थैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सार्धकोट्यष्टसंमितैः: amounting to eight and a half crores
• सार्धकोट्यष्टसंमितैः: Visheshana (Adjective of tīrthaiḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सार्ध + कोटि + अष्ट + संमित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—सार्धकोट्यष्टेन संमितैः (‘measured as eight and a half crores’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa context, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pitāmaheśvara-liṅga (Kāśī) with Gayā-tīrtha association

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand procession of personified tīrthas—river deities and sacred ford spirits—accompanies a radiant liṅga (Pitāmaheśvara) traveling from Gayā toward Kāśī; Phalgu river is shown as a leading figure.

Characters & Entities

• Pitāmaheśvara Liṅga
• Gayā-tīrtha
• Phalgu (river/tīrtha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as a confluence of countless tīrthas; major pilgrimage powers (like Gayā) are gathered and present there.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pitāmaheśvara Liṅga in Kāśī, with reference to Gayā-tīrtha and the Phalgu-associated tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse establishes tīrtha-lineage and the exceptional aggregation of pilgrimage merits in Kāśī.