Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

येन काश्यां समभ्यर्चि येन काश्यां प्रतिष्ठितम् । येन काश्यां स्तुतं लिंगं स मे रूपाय दर्पणः

Transliteration

yena kāśyāṃ samabhyarci yena kāśyāṃ pratiṣṭhitam | yena kāśyāṃ stutaṃ liṃgaṃ sa me rūpāya darpaṇaḥ

Translation

ผู้ใดบูชาในกาศี ผู้ใดสถาปนาลึงค์ในกาศี และผู้ใดสรรเสริญลึงค์ในกาศี—ผู้นั้นคือกระจกสะท้อนรูปของเราเอง

Word by Word

• येन: by which/with which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करणवाचक-सम्बन्ध (relative)

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

• समभ्यर्चि: (he) worshipped
• समभ्यर्चि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अभि + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्ष/परिपूर्ण past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; रूपं ‘समभ्यर्च’ इति पाठभेद/सन्ध्यन्तरसम्भव

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

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

• प्रतिष्ठितम्: established
• प्रतिष्ठितम्: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रति + स्था (धातु) → प्रतिष्ठित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘स्थापितम्/established’

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

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

• स्तुतम्: praised
• स्तुतम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्तुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √स्तु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘स्तुतम्/praised’

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

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; मम (enclitic)

• रूपाय: for (my) form/appearance
• रूपाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजन/सम्प्रदानार्थ

• दर्पणः: a mirror
• दर्पणः: Kriya (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Devadeva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Tvāṣṭra/Viśvakarman (addressed implicitly by subsequent verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva’s radiant presence appears behind a devotee who has worshipped/installed/praised a liṅga in Kāśī; between them a shining mirror symbolizes the devotee reflecting Śiva’s form.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Kāśī
• Liṅga
• Pratiṣṭhā (consecration)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service to Śiva in Kāśī—worship, consecration, and praise—makes the devotee intimately aligned with Śiva, as if reflecting Him.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), highlighted as the supreme place for Liṅga worship and consecration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (establishing/consecrating a Liṅga), along with arcana (worship) and stuti (hymnic praise) performed in Kāśī.