Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

स्मृत्वा लिंगप्रतिष्ठायाः काश्यां लोकोत्तरं फलम् । गंगया स्थापितं लिंगं विश्वेशात्पूर्वतः शुभम्

Transliteration

smṛtvā liṃgapratiṣṭhāyāḥ kāśyāṃ lokottaraṃ phalam | gaṃgayā sthāpitaṃ liṃgaṃ viśveśātpūrvataḥ śubham

Translation

காசியில் லிங்கப் பிரதிஷ்டையின் பரம (லோகோத்தர) பலனை நினைத்து, கங்கை விஸ்வேசுவரரின் கிழக்கே ஒரு மங்களகரமான லிங்கத்தை நிறுவினாள்।

Word by Word

• स्मृत्वा: having remembered
• स्मृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having remembered)

• लिङ्गप्रतिष्ठायाः: of the liṅga-installation
• लिङ्गप्रतिष्ठायाः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग-प्रतिष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (of the installation of the liṅga)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे

• लोकोत्तरम्: otherworldly; transcendent
• लोकोत्तरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोक-उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of फलम्)

• फलम्: fruit; result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• गङ्गया: by Gaṅgā
• गङ्गया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृ-निर्देश (by Gaṅgā)

• स्थापितम्: established
• स्थापितम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (liṅgaṃ) established

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

• विश्वेशात्: from Viśveśa (Lord of the universe)
• विश्वेशात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व-ईश (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अपादान (from)

• पूर्वतः: to the east; in front
• पूर्वतः: Desha (Direction/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: दिशावाचक-अव्यय (adverb of direction: to the east/in front)

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of लिङ्गम्)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgeśvara (east of Viśveśa)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni (unnamed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṅgā as a goddess performing liṅga-pratiṣṭhā: placing a shining black stone liṅga on a pedestal, with priests/sages assisting; in the background rises Viśveśvara temple; composition clearly indicates ‘east’ with sunrise light from that side.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā
• Kāśī
• Viśveśa (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, consecration of a Śiva-liṅga yields extraordinary, transcendent merit—because the kṣetra is Śiva’s own.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Viśveśa/Viśveśvara sacred zone in Kāśī, with the liṅga placed to its east.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (installation/consecration) is highlighted as a high-merit act in Kāśī.