Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

प्रदक्षिणीकरणतो लिंगस्यस्पर्शनादपि । पुण्यापुण्यवतीजाता कन्यापुष्पबटोर्गृहे

Transliteration

pradakṣiṇīkaraṇato liṃgasyasparśanādapi | puṇyāpuṇyavatījātā kanyāpuṣpabaṭorgṛhe

Translation

பிரதட்சிணை செய்ததாலும்—லிங்கத்தைத் தொட்டதாலும் கூட—அவள் புண்ணியமும் பாபமும் கலந்த பலனுடன், ‘கன்யாபுஷ்பபடு’ எனும் பிரம்மச்சாரியின் இல்லத்தில் பெண்ணாகப் பிறந்தாள்.

Word by Word

• प्रदक्षिणीकरणतः: from circumambulating
• प्रदक्षिणीकरणतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रदक्षिणीकरण (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त), हेतुवाचक: ‘from/through circumambulation’

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• स्पर्शनात्: from touching
• स्पर्शनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अपि-कार (additive particle)

• पुण्यापुण्यवती: possessing merit and demerit
• पुण्यापुण्यवती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अपुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वत्/वती (तद्धित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण: ‘having both merit and demerit’

• जाता: became/was born
• जाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle) ‘born/become’, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कन्यापुष्पबटोर्: of the brahmacārin named Kanyāpuṣpa
• कन्यापुष्पबटोर्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्यापुष्पबटु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (रेफ-सन्ध्या: बटोः + गृहे)

• गृहे: in the house
• गृहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-liṅga (unspecified shrine within Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A liminal being gains human birth through a brief circumambulation around a Śiva-liṅga and a moment of touch; the next scene shows a modest brahmacārin’s home where the girl is born, marked by destiny’s duality.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅga
• Kāśī-kṣetra
• Kanyāpuṣpabaṭu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional acts like pradakṣiṇā and liṅga-sparśa generate puṇya, yet improper actions can still leave apuṇya—both shaping rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra and its Śiva-liṅga worship, especially circumambulation practices.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pradakṣiṇā of the liṅga and respectful contact (sparśa) are indicated as meritorious devotional acts.