Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

शैलेशः संगमेशश्च स्वर्लीनो मध्यमेश्वरः । हिरण्यगर्भ ईशानो गोप्रेक्षो वृषभध्वजः

Transliteration

śaileśaḥ saṃgameśaśca svarlīno madhyameśvaraḥ | hiraṇyagarbha īśāno goprekṣo vṛṣabhadhvajaḥ

Translation

(కాశీలో పూజ్య లింగములు:) శైలేశ, సంగమేశ, స్వర్లీన, మధ్యమేశ్వర, హిరణ్యగర్భ, ఈశాన, గోప్రేక్ష మరియు వృషభధ్వజ।

Word by Word

• शैलेशः: Lord of the mountain
• शैलेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• संगमेशः: Lord of the confluence
• संगमेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संगम + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• स्वर्लीनः: merged into heaven (svar)
• स्वर्लीनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर् + लीन (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (adjectival epithet)

• मध्यमेश्वरः: Middle Lord (Madhyameśvara)
• मध्यमेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्यम + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हिरण्यगर्भः: Hiraṇyagarbha
• हिरण्यगर्भः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्य + गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ईशानः: Īśāna
• ईशानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गोप्रेक्षः: Goprekṣa
• गोप्रेक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + प्रेक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वृषभध्वजः: He whose banner is the bull
• वृषभध्वजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue framework)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Caturdaśa Mahāliṅga circuit (first set named here)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: a muni/sage (explicitly addressed in the passage sequence)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-sage in Kāśī recites a litany of liṅga-names; behind him a stylized map-like procession of eight shrines, each with a distinct emblem: mountain (Śaileśa), confluence (Saṃgameśa), ascent to heaven (Svarlīna), central axis (Madhyameśvara), golden womb/egg (Hiraṇyagarbha), northeast face (Īśāna), cow-gazing motif (Goprekṣa), and bull-banner (Vṛṣabhadhvaja).

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Śiva
• Liṅga (Śiva-liṅga)
• Śaileśa
• Saṃgameśa
• Svarlīna
• Madhyameśvara
• Hiraṇyagarbha
• Īśāna
• Goprekṣa
• Vṛṣabhadhvaja

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembering and honoring the named Liṅgas of Kāśī is presented as a direct encounter with Śiva’s presence in sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) and its network of renowned Śiva-liṅga shrines.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

This verse primarily lists shrine-names; the ritual prescriptions (yātrā/pūjā) appear in subsequent verses.