Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

मालतीशं शुभं लिंगं कृत्तिवासोत्तरे महत् । सपर्ययित्वा तल्लिंगं राजा गजपतिर्भवेत्

Transliteration

mālatīśaṃ śubhaṃ liṃgaṃ kṛttivāsottare mahat | saparyayitvā talliṃgaṃ rājā gajapatirbhavet

Translation

ทางทิศเหนือของกฤตติวาสะ มีศิวลึงค์มาลตีศะอันเป็นมงคลยิ่งและยิ่งใหญ่ตั้งอยู่ ผู้ใดบูชาศิวลึงค์นั้นด้วยศรัทธา กษัตริย์ผู้นั้นย่อมเป็นคชปติ คือเจ้าเหนือช้างทั้งหลาย ผู้ทรงอำนาจใหญ่หลวง

Word by Word

• मालतीशम्: (the) Mālatīśa liṅga/name Mālatīśa
• मालतीशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मालती-ईश (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मालत्याः ईशः)

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम् इति)

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

• कृत्तिवासोत्तरे: to the north of Kṛttivāsa
• कृत्तिवासोत्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्तिवास-उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्थाने/देशे); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कृत्तिवासस्य उत्तरे)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम् इति)

• सपर्ययित्वा: having worshipped/served
• सपर्ययित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सपर्य (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तम् (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिकक्रिया—‘पूजयित्वा/सेवित्वा’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Determiner/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देशक-विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम् इति)

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

• राजा: a king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गजपतिः: lord of elephants; elephant-king
• गजपतिः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृ-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज-पति (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गजानां पतिः)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mālatīśa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/śrotṛ-gaṇa (Purāṇic audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-king offers mālatī garlands, bilva leaves, and water to a radiant liṅga shrine north of Kṛttivāsa; attendants hold royal parasol and elephant-goad, hinting at gajapati sovereignty.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Mālatīśa
• Kṛttivāsa
• Śiva-liṅga
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honoring Śiva through liṅga-sevā is said to uplift worldly authority as well, aligning kingship with dharmic devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mālatīśa liṅga, located north of the Kṛttivāsa sacred point in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Saparyā (reverential worship/service) of the Mālatīśa liṅga.