Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

एतेष्वपि च लिंगेषु चतुर्दशसु सत्तम । लिंगाष्टकं महावीर्यं कर्मबीजदवानलम्

Transliteration

eteṣvapi ca liṃgeṣu caturdaśasu sattama | liṃgāṣṭakaṃ mahāvīryaṃ karmabījadavānalam

Translation

ดูก่อนบุรุษผู้ประเสริฐ แม้ในลึงค์ทั้งสิบสี่นี้ ลึงคาษฏกะทั้งแปดมีฤทธิ์เดชยิ่ง—ดุจไฟป่าที่เผาผลาญเมล็ดแห่งกรรมสิ้นไป

Word by Word

• एतेषु: among these
• एतेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle/emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• लिङ्गेषु: in the liṅgas
• लिङ्गेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन

• चतुर्दशसु: among the fourteen
• चतुर्दशसु: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्दशन् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्या-विशेषण, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन; लिङ्गेषु इति पदस्य विशेषणम्

• सत्तम: O best (one)
• सत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; सत् + तमप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन

• लिङ्गाष्टकम्: the set of eight liṅgas
• लिङ्गाष्टकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग + अष्टक (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लिङ्गानाम् अष्टकम्)

• महावीर्यम्: of great potency
• महावीर्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; लिङ्गाष्टकम् इति पदस्य विशेषणम्; कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् वीर्यम्)

• कर्मबीजदवानलम्: a wildfire/fire that burns the seeds of karma
• कर्मबीजदवानलम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्म + बीज + दव + अनल (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; लिङ्गाष्टकम् इति पदस्य विशेषणम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषप्रधानः (कर्मबीजानि इव दवाग्निः/अनलः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Liṅgāṣṭaka of Kāśī (within the set of Kāśī-liṅgas)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Kāśī is shown moving through a sequence of liṅga-shrines; behind him a stylized forest-fire motif consumes seed-like forms symbolizing karmic bīja, while Śiva’s aura protects the devotee.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅgas (fourteen)
• Liṅgāṣṭaka (eight liṅgas)
• Karma (karmabīja)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Focused devotion to especially potent shrines can uproot karmic bondage at its very seed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī liṅga network—highlighting the Liṅgāṣṭaka among the fourteen liṅgas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit practice of bhajana/archana toward the Liṅgāṣṭaka due to its exceptional efficacy.