Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

चैत्रशुक्ल त्रयोदश्यां तत्र यात्रा च कामदा । नलकूबर लिंगं च प्राच्यां कामेश्वराच्छुभम्

Transliteration

caitraśukla trayodaśyāṃ tatra yātrā ca kāmadā | nalakūbara liṃgaṃ ca prācyāṃ kāmeśvarācchubham

Translation

ในวันขึ้น ๑๓ ค่ำ เดือนไจตรา การจาริก ณ ที่นั้นประทานความสำเร็จแห่งความปรารถนาอันเป็นที่รัก ทางทิศตะวันออกของกามेशวรอันเป็นมงคล มีศิวลึงค์นามว่า นลกูพาระ เรืองรองและศักดิ์สิทธิ์

Word by Word

• caitraśukla: in the bright fortnight of Caitra
• caitraśukla: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caitra (प्रातिपदिक) + śukla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः कर्मधारयः; नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्; (caitra-śukle [pakṣe] understood)

• trayodaśyām: on the thirteenth (tithi)
• trayodaśyām: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: trayodaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• yātrā: pilgrimage/festival procession
• yātrā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• kāmadā: wish-granting
• kāmadā: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāmadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (yātrāyāḥ)

• nalakūbara: Nalakūbara
• nalakūbara: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nalakūbara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; नाम (proper name)

• liṅgam: liṅga (Śiva emblem)
• liṅgam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचनम्; अत्र नामनिर्देशे प्रथमा

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• prācyām: in the east
• prācyām: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prācī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्; दिग्वाचक (in the east)

• kāmeśvarāt: from Kāmeśvara
• kāmeśvarāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāmeśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचनम्; अपादान (source)

• śubham: auspicious
• śubham: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (liṅgasya)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nalakūbara-liṅga (east of Kāmeśvara)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim couple at dawn on Caitra-śukla Trayodaśī offers bilva and water at Kāmeśvara, then walks east through narrow lanes to the radiant Nalakūbara-liṅga; temple lamps glow, priests chant, and the Ganga’s presence is felt in the air.

Characters & Entities

• Caitra-śukla Trayodaśī
• Kāmeśvara
• Nalakūbara-liṅga
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sacred landscape is mapped through liṅgas, and visiting them on auspicious lunar days is taught as a dharmic means for legitimate wish-fulfillment and spiritual uplift.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nalakūbara-liṅga, located to the east of Kāmeśvara in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertaking a yātrā (pilgrimage/holy visit) on Caitra-śukla Trayodaśī.