Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

भवतीनामिदं लिंगं नक्षत्रेश्वर संज्ञितम् । पूजयित्वा नरो गंता भवतीलोकमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

bhavatīnāmidaṃ liṃgaṃ nakṣatreśvara saṃjñitam | pūjayitvā naro gaṃtā bhavatīlokamuttamam

Translation

ลึงค์นี้เป็นของพวกท่าน และเป็นที่รู้จักนามว่า ‘นักษเตรศวร’ ผู้ใดบูชานมัสการแล้ว ผู้นั้นจักบรรลุโลกอันประเสริฐของพวกท่าน

Word by Word

• भवतीनाम्: of you (ladies)
• भवतीनाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• लिङ्गम्: emblem, sign (liṅga)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• नक्षत्रेश्वर: O lord of the Nakṣatras
• नक्षत्रेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नक्षत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नक्षत्राणाम् ईश्वरः)

• संज्ञितम्: named, designated
• संज्ञितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम्)

• पूजयित्वा: having worshipped
• पूजयित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), अव्ययभावः

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• गन्ता: will go / is destined to go
• गन्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (तृच्-प्रत्ययान्त agent noun/future sense), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; भविष्यदर्थे कर्तृवाचकः

• भवतीलोकम्: the world of Bhavatī
• भवतीलोकम्: Gati-Karma (Goal/Object of motion/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवती (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भवत्याः लोकः)

• उत्तमम्: excellent, highest
• उत्तमम्: Gati-Karma (Goal/Object of motion/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लोकम्)

Speaker

Bhagavad-gaṇas (Śiva’s attendants)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nakṣatreśvara

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī shrine with the Nakṣatreśvara-liṅga glowing under a canopy of stars; a devotee offers flowers, water, and lamp, while subtle constellations form a halo around the liṅga, indicating its astral sovereignty.

Characters & Entities

• Nakṣatreśvara Liṅga
• Nakṣatras
• Kāśī (implied context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worship of a specific Śaiva liṅga in Kāśī grants a corresponding exalted realm—devotion yields a defined spiritual destination.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nakṣatreśvara-liṅga in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s sthala-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā (worship) of the Nakṣatreśvara-liṅga.