Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12
मृदु हस्ततलेनैव यावत्खनति वै मुनिः । तावच्छ्रीफलमात्रं हि लिंगं तेन समीक्षितम्
mṛdu hastatalenaiva yāvatkhanati vai muniḥ | tāvacchrīphalamātraṃ hi liṃgaṃ tena samīkṣitam
เมื่อฤๅษีค่อย ๆ ขุดด้วยฝ่ามืออันอ่อนโยน ไม่นานก็ได้เห็นลึงค์หนึ่ง—มีขนาดเพียงเท่าผลบิลวะ
Skanda (narration; deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame)
Tirtha: Gupta-liṅga (bilva-phala-mātra) in Kāśī (as revealed)
Type: kshetra
Listener: null
Scene: The sage kneels and gently scrapes earth with his palm; a small liṅga, bilva-fruit sized, emerges from the soil, faintly luminous; the ant remains nearby as witness.
FAQs
Divinity can be present in subtle, hidden forms; humility and gentleness unveil sacred reality.
The narrative points toward Ānandakānana within Kāśī, where a liṅga is discovered.
The act described is not a ritual but a reverent uncovering that leads into worship of the liṅga.