Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

तस्यार्चनेन रत्नौघैर्न वियुज्येत कर्हिचित् । शंकुकर्णेश्वरं लिंगं कौस्तुभेश्वरदक्षिणे

Transliteration

tasyārcanena ratnaughairna viyujyeta karhicit | śaṃkukarṇeśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ kaustubheśvaradakṣiṇe

Translation

அதனை வழிபட்டால் ஒருவர் எந்நேரமும் ரத்தினக் குவியல்களிலிருந்து பிரியார்; கௌஸ்துபேஸ்வரத்தின் தெற்கில் ‘சங்குகர்ணேஸ்வர’ லிங்கம் உள்ளது.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of that (liṅga)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अर्चनेन: by worship
• अर्चनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• रत्नौघैः: with heaps of gems
• रत्नौघैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न-ओघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (रत्नानाम् ओघः = heap of gems)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• वियुज्येत: would be separated/deprived
• वियुज्येत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-युज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग (sense: 'would be separated')

• कर्हिचित्: ever
• कर्हिचित्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कर्हिचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'ever/at any time')

• शङ्कुकर्णेश्वरम्: Śaṅkukarṇeśvara (name of Śiva/linga)
• शङ्कुकर्णेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कु-कर्ण-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (शङ्कुकर्णस्य ईश्वरः)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Apposition/Viśeṣya (Core noun/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कौस्तुभेश्वरदक्षिणे: to the south of Kaustubheśvara
• कौस्तुभेश्वरदक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौस्तुभ-ईश्वर-दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कौस्तुभेश्वरस्य दक्षिणे = on the south of Kaustubheśvara)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kaustubheśvara; Śaṃkukarṇeśvara (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside Kaustubheśvara’s shrine, offerings glitter—lamps reflected on metal vessels; the liṅga is adorned with bilva and a simple garland, while symbolic ‘jewel heaps’ appear as a halo-like motif; a path leads further south to Śaṃkukarṇeśvara.

Characters & Entities

• Kaustubheśvara
• Śaṃkukarṇeśvara
• arcana
• ratna (jewels)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional worship (arcana) in Kāśī is portrayed as granting both worldly stability (prosperity) and continued access to sacred power through place-based devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kaustubheśvara (by worship-benefit) and Śaṃkukarṇeśvara liṅga located south of Kaustubheśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arcana (formal worship) of the liṅga is explicitly mentioned as the means to the stated fruit.