Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

कृत्तिवासेश्वरं लिंगं सेव्यं काश्यां ततो नरैः । जन्मांतरसहस्रेषु मोक्षोन्यत्र सुदुर्लभः

Transliteration

kṛttivāseśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ sevyaṃ kāśyāṃ tato naraiḥ | janmāṃtarasahasreṣu mokṣonyatra sudurlabhaḥ

Translation

ฉะนั้นในกาศี มนุษย์พึงบูชาลึงค์แห่งพระกฤตติวาเสศวร; เพราะในชาติอื่นนับพัน การได้โมกษะ ณ ที่อื่นยากยิ่งนัก

Word by Word

• कृत्तिवासेश्वरम्: Lord Kṛttivāseśvara
• कृत्तिवासेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्तिवास-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कृत्तिवासस्य ईश्वरः)

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

• सेव्यम्: to be worshipped
• सेव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सेव् (धातु) → सेव्यम् (कृदन्त, तव्यत्)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (कर्तव्य/योग्य) विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be served/worshipped’

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• ततः: there/thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/तदनन्तरम् (from there/thereafter)

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/कर्ता-करणभाव), बहुवचन

• जन्म: birth
• जन्म: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद

• अन्तर: another (interval)
• अन्तर: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (जन्मान्तर = another birth)

• सहस्रेषु: in thousands (of births)
• सहस्रेषु: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन; ‘in thousands’

• मोक्षः: liberation
• मोक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (elsewhere)

• सुदुर्लभः: very hard to obtain
• सुदुर्लभः: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक; उपसर्ग/उपपद)
• Form: विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘very difficult to obtain’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṛttivāseśvara (in Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī or a sage interlocutor in Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene: a teacher-like figure gestures toward the Kṛttivāseśvara shrine while a stream of pilgrims arrives; in the background, a faint wheel of saṃsāra symbolizes ‘thousands of births’ contrasted with the immediate sanctuary of Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Varanasi)
• Kṛttivāseśvara Liṅga
• Mokṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as a uniquely potent place where liberation is accessible compared to other locations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kṛttivāseśvara Liṅga in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā/arcana (worship and service) of the Kṛttivāseśvara liṅga.