Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

कलिकल्मषपुष्टा ये ये दुष्टा नास्तिकाः शठाः । एतेषां सिद्धलिंगानां ज्ञास्यंत्याख्यामपीह न

Transliteration

kalikalmaṣapuṣṭā ye ye duṣṭā nāstikāḥ śaṭhāḥ | eteṣāṃ siddhaliṃgānāṃ jñāsyaṃtyākhyāmapīha na

Translation

คนชั่ว ผู้ไม่ศรัทธา และเจ้าเล่ห์ทั้งหลาย ผู้ถูกหล่อเลี้ยงด้วยบาปแห่งกลียุค—แม้เขาเหล่านั้น ณ ที่นี้ ก็ไม่อาจรู้ได้แม้เพียงนามและเกียรติคุณของลึงค์ผู้สำเร็จ (สวายัมภู) เหล่านี้

Word by Word

• कलि-कल्मष-पुष्टाः: nourished by Kali’s impurity
• कलि-कल्मष-पुष्टाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक) + कल्मष (प्रातिपदिक) + पुष्ट (कृदन्त; √पुष् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कलिकल्मषेण/कलिकल्मषस्य पुष्टाः = ‘nourished by/with the impurity of Kali’)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• ये: who (indeed)
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; पुनरुक्तिः (emphasis)

• दुष्टाः: wicked
• दुष्टाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• नास्तिकाः: atheists/deniers
• नास्तिकाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नास्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• शठाः: deceitful
• शठाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• एतेषाम्: of these
• एतेषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• सिद्ध-लिङ्गानाम्: of the established liṅgas
• सिद्ध-लिङ्गानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (सिद्धं लिङ्गं = ‘the established liṅga’)

• ज्ञास्यन्ति: will know
• ज्ञास्यन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• आख्याम्: the name/designation
• आख्याम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

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

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Siddhaliṅga-s (group) in Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: a beloved interlocutor (commonly Devasenā in Kāśī-khaṇḍa dialogues)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī lane with multiple small shrines; radiant liṅgas remain ‘unseen’ to shadowy, skeptical figures, while devotees with folded hands perceive their glory.

Characters & Entities

• Kali-yuga
• Siddha-liṅgas
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sacred manifestations are so exalted that those hardened by Kali-yuga sin remain cut off even from their very renown; faith and reverence are prerequisites for receiving tīrtha-knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī/Ānandakānana (Vārāṇasī), through the praise of its ‘siddha’ (self-established) Śiva-liṅgas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; the verse sets a contrast preparing for the later teaching that even hearing the names of the liṅgas yields merit.