Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

तिलांतरं न देव्यस्ति विना लिंगं हि कुत्रचित् । एकैकं परितो लिंगं क्रोशं क्रोशं च यावनिः

Transliteration

tilāṃtaraṃ na devyasti vinā liṃgaṃ hi kutracit | ekaikaṃ parito liṃgaṃ krośaṃ krośaṃ ca yāvaniḥ

Translation

“ข้าแต่เทวี ที่นี่ไม่มีแม้ช่องว่างเท่าเมล็ดงาโดยปราศจากลึงคะเลย ที่รอบด้านมีลึงคะตั้งเรียงราย—องค์แล้วองค์เล่า—กโรศะแล้วกโรศะ ตราบเท่าที่แผ่นดินทอดยาวไป”

Word by Word

• तिलान्तरम्: a sesame-seed’s gap (even a tiny interval)
• तिलान्तरम्: Karma (Measure/extent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र ‘तिलमात्र-अन्तरम्’ इत्यर्थे (अल्पपरिमाण)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवि (सम्बोधन-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (vocative), एकवचन

• अस्ति: there is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• विना: without
• विना: Apadana (Exclusion/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादानार्थक/वर्जनार्थक अव्यय (without), उपपद-योगे द्वितीया

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

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/हेतौ अव्यय (indeed/for)

• कुत्रचित्: anywhere
• कुत्रचित्: Adhikarana (Indefinite location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुत्रचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अनिश्चित-देशवाचक अव्यय (anywhere)

• एकैकम्: each and every (single)
• एकैकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक + एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (एकं च एकं च = each single) विशेषणम् (लिङ्गस्य)

• परितः: all around
• परितः: Adhikarana (Circumstantial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परितः (अव्यय)
• Form: परिसरवाचक अव्यय (around/on all sides)

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

• क्रोशम्: a krośa (distance measure)
• क्रोशम्: Karma (Measure/extent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक

• क्रोशम्: krośa by krośa
• क्रोशम्: Karma (Measure/extent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (distribution)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (and)

• यावत्: as far as
• यावत्: Avadhi (Limit/extent)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधिवाचक अव्यय (as far as/so long as)

• निः: (textually uncertain) prefix ‘nis-/without/entirely’
• निः: Sambandha (Prefix/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निः (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गरूप अव्यय; अत्र पाठभेद/संदिग्धपाठः—‘यावन्निः/यावन्न’ इत्यादि सम्भाव्य; अर्थतः ‘निः’ = ‘without/entirely’ (prefix)

Speaker

Śiva (Pinākadhṛk), speaking to Gaurī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī as Liṅga-kṣetra (within Pañcakrośa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva explains to Devī that Kāśī is so filled with liṅgas that no tiniest gap remains; the landscape appears as a sacred mandala studded with countless liṅgas—at ghats, under trees, in courtyards—extending krośa by krośa, shimmering with divine presence.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅga
• Gaurī
• Kāśī-kṣetra
• Pañcakrośa region

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is envisioned as saturated with Śiva’s presence—devotion is supported by an all-pervading sacred iconography of liṅgas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī-kṣetra across its krośa-measures, aligned with the Pañcakrośa sacred circuit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it implies liṅga-darśana and worship as naturally available everywhere in Kāśī.