Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

विश्वेशादीनि लिंगानि वेदानृक्प्रमुखानपि । गायत्रीप्रमुखान्मंत्रान्योगिनः सनकादिकान्

Transliteration

viśveśādīni liṃgāni vedānṛkpramukhānapi | gāyatrīpramukhānmaṃtrānyoginaḥ sanakādikān

Translation

พึงระลึกถึงลิงคะทั้งหลายเริ่มด้วยวิศเวศะ ระลึกถึงพระเวททั้งหลายเริ่มด้วยฤคเวท ระลึกถึงมนตร์ทั้งหลายเริ่มด้วยคายตรี และระลึกถึงโยคีทั้งหลายเริ่มด้วยสานกะและฤๅษีอื่นๆ

Word by Word

• विश्वेशादीनि: Viśveśa and others
• विश्वेशादीनि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्वेश + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः ("लिङ्गानि" इति विशेष्यस्य)

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas (emblems)
• लिङ्गानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वेदान्: Vedas
• वेदान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ऋक्प्रमुखान्: with Ṛk (Ṛgveda) as foremost
• ऋक्प्रमुखान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋक् + प्रमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः ("वेदान्" इति विशेष्यस्य)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अवधारणार्थक-निपात (also/even)

• गायत्रीप्रमुखान्: with Gāyatrī as foremost
• गायत्रीप्रमुखान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गायत्री + प्रमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः ("मन्त्रान्" इति विशेष्यस्य)

• मन्त्रान्: mantras
• मन्त्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• योगिनः: yogins
• योगिनः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (योगिन्-शब्दस्य बहुवचनरूपम्)

• सनकादिकान्: Sanaka and others
• सनकादिकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सनक + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः ("योगिनः" इति विशेष्यस्य)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśvara (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages in the frame narrative

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a sanctum: Viśveśvara liṅga radiates; above it appear symbolic Vedic leaves, the Gāyatrī meter as a luminous mandala, and the child-sages Sanaka and brothers seated in yogic stillness.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśa (Viśvanātha)
• Liṅga
• Vedas
• Ṛgveda
• Gāyatrī
• Sanaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s Viśveśa is central to remembrance, joined with scriptural authority (Vedas), mantra power (Gāyatrī), and yogic exemplars (Sanakādi).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viśveśa (Viśvanātha) in Kāśī is explicitly invoked, anchoring the verse in Kāśī’s Śaiva sthala-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Smaraṇa of Viśveśa-liṅga, recourse to Veda and Gāyatrī-centered mantra remembrance, and honoring yogic sages.