Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । शृण्वगस्त्य तपोराशे काश्यां लिंगानि यानि वै । सेवितानि नृणां मुक्त्यै भवेयुर्भावितात्मनाम्

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | śṛṇvagastya taporāśe kāśyāṃ liṃgāni yāni vai | sevitāni nṛṇāṃ muktyai bhaveyurbhāvitātmanām

Translation

สกันทะตรัสว่า: ฟังเถิด โอ้อคัสตยะ ขุมทรัพย์แห่งตบะ—ว่าด้วยลึงค์ทั้งหลายของพระศิวะในกาศี ซึ่งเมื่อบูชาแล้ว ย่อมเป็นเหตุแห่งโมกษะแก่มนุษย์ผู้มีจิตขัดเกลาและสำรวม

Word by Word

• स्कन्दः: Skanda
• स्कन्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• अगस्त्य: O Agastya
• अगस्त्य: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• तपो-राशे: O heap of austerity
• तपो-राशे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + राशि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; बहुव्रीह्यर्थे संबोधन (epithet)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas
• लिङ्गानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन

• यानि: which
• यानि: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (relative pronoun)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/सम्भावनार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• सेवितानि: worshipped/served
• सेवितानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; विशेषण (liṅgāni qualifies)

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• मुक्त्यै: for liberation
• मुक्त्यै: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; प्रयोजन (for the sake of liberation)

• भवेयुः: may be / would be
• भवेयुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• भावित-आत्मनाम्: of the self-disciplined (purified-souled)
• भावित-आत्मनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भावित (कृदन्त; भू धातोः क्त) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; विशेष्य-सम्बन्ध (of those whose selves are purified/meditated)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-liṅga-samūha (collective)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda instructs Agastya: a panoramic sacred map-like vision of Kāśī with multiple liṅga shrines, pilgrims performing pradakṣiṇā, and a serene riverfront—emphasizing disciplined worship.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Kāśī
• Śiva (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation is linked to both sacred place and inner refinement: worship in Kāśī bears fruit especially for the bhāvitātmā (cultivated-minded devotee).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Varanasi) as a field of many liberating Śiva-liṅgas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā/worship of Kāśī’s liṅgas with a purified, disciplined mind.