Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

प्रतिष्ठितानि यानीह मुक्तिहेतूनि तान्यपि । अदृश्यान्यपि दृश्यानि दुरवस्थान्यपि प्रिये

Transliteration

pratiṣṭhitāni yānīha muktihetūni tānyapi | adṛśyānyapi dṛśyāni duravasthānyapi priye

Translation

ที่รักเอ๋ย ศิวลึงค์ใดๆ ที่ประดิษฐาน ณ ที่นี้ ล้วนเป็นเหตุแห่งโมกษะ แม้ที่ไม่ปรากฏก็อาจปรากฏให้เห็นได้; แม้อยู่ในสภาพทรุดโทรมก็ยังควรแก่การบูชาในกษेत्रนี้

Word by Word

• pratiṣṭhitāni: established
• pratiṣṭhitāni: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pratiṣṭhita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; prati-√sthā (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; कर्मणि भूतकृदन्त ‘established’

• yāni: which (things)
• yāni: Pradhāna (Correlative/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• iha: here
• iha: Deśa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• muktihetūni: causes of liberation
• muktihetūni: Viśeṣya/Pradhāna (Predicate/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukti-hetu (प्रातिपदिकानि: mukti + hetu)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘cause of liberation’

• tāni: those
• tāni: Pradhāna (Correlative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; तद्-प्रत्यय (correlative pronoun)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha/Avadhāraṇa (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• adṛśyāni: invisible
• adṛśyāni: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-dṛśya (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √dṛś (धातु) + यत्; नकारार्थ a-)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘not visible’

• api: also
• api: Sambandha/Avadhāraṇa (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• dṛśyāni: visible
• dṛśyāni: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dṛśya (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √dṛś (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘visible’

• duravasthāni: in poor state / hard to access
• duravasthāni: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur-avasthā (प्रातिपदिक; dur + avasthā)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘in bad condition/difficult to approach’

• api: also
• api: Sambandha/Avadhāraṇa (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• priye: O beloved (lady)
• priye: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे संबोधन विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandakānana / Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in the grove bows to a weathered, partly hidden liṅga under roots and stones; another liṅga is invisible but indicated by a subtle aura; Śiva’s unseen grace pervades, suggesting liberation emanating from the kṣetra itself.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Mukti
• Śiva-liṅga
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, consecrated Śiva-symbols remain liberation-giving regardless of visibility or outward condition—kṣetra-prabhāva surpasses externals.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra itself, as a mukti-field where liṅga-darśana/ स्मरण carries exceptional power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No detailed rite; it implies the value of darśana (seeing) and reverence even for overlooked liṅgas.