Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

चतुर्मुखो गणः श्रीमान्वृद्धकालेश सन्निधौ । चतुर्मुखेश्वरं लिंगं ध्यायेदद्यापि निश्चलः

Transliteration

caturmukho gaṇaḥ śrīmānvṛddhakāleśa sannidhau | caturmukheśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ dhyāyedadyāpi niścalaḥ

Translation

ต่อหน้าพระวฤทธกาลேศะ คณะเทพ (คณะ) ผู้รุ่งเรืองนาม “จตุรมุขะ” แม้บัดนี้ยังเพ่งฌานอย่างมั่นคงต่อศิวลึงค์ “จตุรมุเขศวร”

Word by Word

• चतुर्मुखः: four-faced
• चतुर्मुखः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्-मुख (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः ‘चत्वारि मुखानि यस्य’

• गणः: a gaṇa (attendant troop/being)
• गणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/Nominative), एकवचन

• श्रीमान्: splendid/fortunate
• श्रीमान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘गणः’ इति विशेषण

• वृद्धकालेश: of Vṛddhakāleśa
• वृद्धकालेश: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध-काल-ईश (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वृद्धकालस्य ईशः)

• सन्निधौ: in the presence
• सन्निधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन

• चतुर्मुखेश्वरम्: Caturmukheśvara
• चतुर्मुखेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्-मुख-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/Object), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (चतुर्मुखस्य ईश्वरः)

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

• ध्यायेत्: should meditate
• ध्यायेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अद्यापि: even today/still
• अद्यापि: Avyaya (Modifier/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य + अपि (अव्यय; समुच्चय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय ‘even today/still’

• निश्चलः: steadfast/immovable
• निश्चलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः-चल (प्रातिपदिक; उपसर्ग-निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तृ-विशेषण (ध्यायेत् इत्यस्य)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Caturmukheśvara (liṅga)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An illustrious gaṇa named Caturmukha sits motionless in meditation before the Caturmukheśvara liṅga, with Vṛddhakāleśa’s presence felt nearby; time seems suspended.

Characters & Entities

• Caturmukha (gaṇa)
• Vṛddhakāleśa
• Caturmukheśvara
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady meditation (niścalatā) on Śiva in Kāśī is upheld even by divine attendants, modeling unwavering bhakti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Caturmukheśvara-liṅga, situated near Vṛddhakāleśa in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhyāna (meditation) upon Caturmukheśvara-liṅga with unwavering focus.