Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

अविमुक्तेश्वरं लिंगं क्षेत्रं चाप्यविमुक्तकम् । एतयोस्तु कथं प्राप्तिर्भवेत्षण्मुख तद्वद

Transliteration

avimukteśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ kṣetraṃ cāpyavimuktakam | etayostu kathaṃ prāptirbhavetṣaṇmukha tadvada

Translation

ข้าแต่ษัณมุข โปรดบอกเถิดว่า จะบรรลุพระกรุณาแห่งลึงค์อวิมุกเตศวร และเขตศักดิ์สิทธิ์นามว่าอวิมุกตะได้อย่างไร

Word by Word

• अविमुक्तेश्वरम्: Avimukteśvara (Lord of Avimukta)
• अविमुक्तेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविमुक्त-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अविमुक्तस्य ईश्वरः)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga, emblem
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• क्षेत्रम्: sacred field/region
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• अविमुक्तकम्: (the) Avimukta (place)
• अविमुक्तकम्: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविमुक्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (क्षेत्रस्य)

• एतयोः: of these two
• एतयोः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अनुवादार्थक-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• प्राप्तिः: attainment
• प्राप्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भवेत्: may be/should occur
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• षण्मुख: O Six-faced one (Ṣaṇmukha)
• षण्मुख: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण्मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (षण्मुखः = यस्य षण्मुखानि सः)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम; (तद्वद इत्यस्य पूर्वपदम्)

• वद: tell/say
• वद: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-kṣetra; Avimukteśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda (Ṣaṇmukha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A respectful seeker questions Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda) about the means to attain Avimukteśvara-liṅga and the Avimukta sacred precinct; the backdrop suggests Kāśī’s ghāṭs, temple spires, and a luminous liṅga-shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda)
• Avimukteśvara
• Avimukta Kṣetra (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual aspiration seeks both the deity (liṅga) and the sanctified space (kṣetra), understanding them as mutually reinforcing means of grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta Kṣetra (Kāśī) and its presiding form, Avimukteśvara Liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None yet; the verse is a direct inquiry that sets up instructions on how such attainment is achieved.