Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

विधिर्दशाश्वमेधेशं लिंगं संस्थाप्य तत्र वै । स्थितवान्न गतोद्यापि क्वापि काशीं विहाय तु

Transliteration

vidhirdaśāśvamedheśaṃ liṃgaṃ saṃsthāpya tatra vai | sthitavānna gatodyāpi kvāpi kāśīṃ vihāya tu

Translation

ครั้นทรงสถาปนา ศิวลึงค์นาม “ทศาศวเมเธศ” ไว้ ณ ที่นั้นแล้ว วิธิ (พรหมา) ก็ประทับอยู่ที่นั่นเอง; แม้ถึงกาลบัดนี้ก็ยังมิได้ละกาศีไปแห่งใด

Word by Word

• विधिः: Brahmā; the Ordainer (Vidhi)
• विधिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दशाश्वमेधेशम्: the lord of the ten Aśvamedhas (a Śiva-liṅga)
• दशाश्वमेधेशम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश-अश्वमेध-ईश (प्रातिपदिक; components: दश + अश्वमेध + ईश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अश्वमेधानां दशानाम् ईशः)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• संस्थाप्य: having स्थापित/installed
• संस्थाप्य: Kriya (क्रिया; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; धातु: √स्था (1P) उपसर्ग: सम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• स्थितवान्: remained/stayed
• स्थितवान्: Karta (कर्ता; predicate of subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्तवत् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; धातु: √स्था

• न: not
• न: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• गतः: gone
• गतः: Karta (कर्ता; predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle used actively); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; धातु: √गम्

• उद्यापि: even now; still
• उद्यापि: Temporal modifier
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उद् + अपि (अव्यय-समूह)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक/अन्वय-निपात (meaning: ‘even now/still’)

• क्वापि: anywhere
• क्वापि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण; indefinite location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व + अपि (अव्यय-समूह)
• Form: अव्यय; अनिश्चित-देशवाचक (indefinite locative adverb)

• काशीम्: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• काशीम्: Apadana (अपादान; with vihāya ‘leaving’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• विहाय: having left/abandoned
• विहाय: Kriya (क्रिया; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-हा (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; धातु: √हा (3P) उपसर्ग: वि

• तु: but
• तु: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थ/विरोधार्थ निपात (contrastive particle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Daśāśvamedha (Daśāśvamedheśa)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā (Vidhi) installs the Daśāśvamedheśa liṅga near the bustling Gaṅgā ghāṭa; lamps, priests, and river-steps frame the sanctum while Brahmā remains seated in devotion, indicating perpetual presence in Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Vidhi (Brahmā)
• Daśāśvamedheśa Liṅga
• Śiva (implied by liṅga)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s Śaiva presence is so compelling that even Brahmā is depicted as remaining there in devotion, anchored by liṅga-worship.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Daśāśvamedheśa Liṅga at the Daśāśvamedha tīrtha area in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (installation of a Śiva-liṅga), performed by Brahmā at this site.