Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

नानायतनलिंगानि चतुर्वर्गप्रदान्यपि । माघकृष्णचतुर्दश्यामविमुक्तमुपासते

Transliteration

nānāyatanaliṃgāni caturvargapradānyapi | māghakṛṣṇacaturdaśyāmavimuktamupāsate

Translation

Ang mga Liṅga mula sa maraming dambana—kahit yaong nagbibigay ng apat na layunin ng buhay—ay sumasamba at naglilingkod sa Avimukta sa ika-labing-apat ng madilim na Māgha.

Word by Word

• नाना: various, many kinds of
• नाना: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverbial/qualifier)

• आयतन: abode, shrine
• आयतन: Sambandha (Genitival/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिक (stem) used as पूर्वपद in समास

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas
• लिङ्गानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन (Plural); समास: आयतन-लिङ्ग (षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष: ‘of shrines/abodes’)

• चतुर्वर्ग: the four aims of life
• चतुर्वर्ग: Sambandha (Genitival/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् + वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समास: चतुर्-वर्ग (द्विगु/संख्यापूर्वक-तत्पुरुष; ‘group of four’) used as पूर्वपद

• प्रदानि: granting (bestowing)
• प्रदानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + दा (धाातु) → प्रदानिन्/प्रदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन; समास: चतुर्वर्ग-प्रदानि (तत्पुरुष: ‘granting the four aims’)

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

• माघ: (the month of) Māgha
• माघ: Adhikaraṇa (Locative context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; मासवाचक; used as पूर्वपद in समास

• कृष्ण: dark (fortnight)
• कृष्ण: Adhikaraṇa (Locative context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पक्षवाचक; used as पूर्वपद in समास

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth lunar day
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन; समास: माघ-कृष्ण-चतुर्दशी (तत्पुरुष: ‘the 14th (tithi) of Māgha’s dark fortnight’)

• अविमुक्तम्: Avimukta (the sacred place/Śiva)
• अविमुक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविमुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• उपासते: they worship
• उपासते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims and ascetics from many regions arrive bearing offerings; multiple emblematic liṅgas are shown as ‘converging’ in reverence toward the central Avimukta Liṅga on Māgha kṛṣṇa caturdaśī, with lamps, bilva leaves, and incense filling the night.

Characters & Entities

• Avimukta
• Liṅgas
• Caturvarga
• Māgha
• Kṛṣṇa Caturdaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Avimukta is exalted as a supreme center of Śiva where even other merit-bestowing sanctities symbolically converge in worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta in Kāśī, especially in relation to Māgha kṛṣṇa caturdaśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upāsanā (devotional worship) of Avimukta on Māgha kṛṣṇa caturdaśī.