Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

अमृतेश समं लिंगं नास्ति क्वापि महीतले । तल्लिंगं शंभुना तिष्ये कृतं गुप्तं प्रयत्नतः

Transliteration

amṛteśa samaṃ liṃgaṃ nāsti kvāpi mahītale | talliṃgaṃ śaṃbhunā tiṣye kṛtaṃ guptaṃ prayatnataḥ

Translation

บนพื้นพิภพนี้ไม่มีลึงค์ใดเสมอด้วยอมฤเตศะ ในกาลทิศยะ (กาลียุค) พระศัมภูได้ทรงพยายามโดยจงใจให้ลึงค์นั้นเร้นลับไว้

Word by Word

• अमृतेश: of Amṛteśa
• अमृतेश: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृतेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बोधन-रूपेणापि सम्भवति, अत्र ‘अमृतेशसमम्’ इति षष्ठी-सम्बन्धः

• समम्: equal to
• समम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तुलनार्थक विशेषण (agreeing with लिङ्गम्)

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

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

• अस्ति: exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; नास्ति = न + अस्ति

• क्वापि: anywhere
• क्वापि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनिश्चित-स्थानवाचक (anywhere)

• महीतले: on the earth’s surface
• महीतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (महेः तलम्)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (तल्लिङ्गम् = तत् + लिङ्गम्)

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

• शम्भुना: by Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भुना: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• तिष्ये: in (the time of) Tiṣya (asterism)
• तिष्ये: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; नक्षत्र-नाम

• कृतम्: made
• कृतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र कर्मणि (made)

• गुप्तम्: hidden
• गुप्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (to लिङ्गम्)

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort / carefully
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) ‘प्रयत्नेन/प्रयत्नात्’ अर्थे

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Amṛteśa liṅga

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sage addressed (munīśvara)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śambhu’s unseen will is depicted as a protective veil around the Amṛteśa liṅga—like a luminous sheath—while the world of Kali churns outside; the liṅga remains supreme yet hidden.

Characters & Entities

• Amṛteśa
• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Kali-yuga (Tisya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse asserts the incomparable sanctity of a specific Śiva form and teaches that divine mysteries may be concealed to protect their sanctity in darker ages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Amṛteśvara liṅga associated with Kāśī/Ānandakānana, praised as unequalled.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the focus is on the liṅga’s uniqueness and its concealment in Kali-yuga.