Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

चतुर्दशापि लिंगानि मत्सान्निध्यकराणि हि । अविमुक्तस्य हृदयमेतदेव गिरींद्रजे

Transliteration

caturdaśāpi liṃgāni matsānnidhyakarāṇi hi | avimuktasya hṛdayametadeva girīṃdraje

Translation

Ang labing-apat na liṅgang ito’y tunay na nagdudulot ng Aking tuwirang presensya. Ito mismo ang “puso” ng Avimukta, O anak ng Panginoon ng mga bundok.

Word by Word

• caturdaśa: fourteen
• caturdaśa: Viśeṣaṇa (Numeral adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caturdaśa (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचन-विशेषण (qualifying liṃgāni); द्विगु-समास (catur + daśa)

• api: also; even
• api: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-अर्थक-अव्यय (particle: ‘also/even’)

• liṃgāni: liṅgas
• liṃgāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṃga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• mat: my
• mat: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-समासपूर्वपद-रूप (genitival base ‘of me’ used in compound)

• sānnidhyakarāṇi: causing (my) presence/nearby-ness
• sānnidhyakarāṇi: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sānnidhya-kara (प्रातिपदिक; sānnidhya + kara)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (sānnidhyasya karāṇi = ‘causing presence’)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Nipāta (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/हेतु-निपात (particle: indeed/for)

• avimuktasya: of Avimukta (Kāśī)
• avimuktasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avimukta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• hṛdayam: heart; core
• hṛdayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛdaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• etat: this
• etat: Anuvāda (Resumptive/अनुवाद)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• eva: alone; indeed
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (restrictive particle)

• girīṃdraje: O daughter of the Lord of mountains
• girīṃdraje: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: girīṃdra-jā (प्रातिपदिक; girīṃdra + jā)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (girīṃdrasya jā)

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Pārvatī; within Kāśī-khaṇḍa tradition)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Caturdaśa-liṅga-hṛdaya of Avimukta

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī (Girīndrajā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic mandala-map of Kāśī’s inner sanctum: fourteen liṅgas arranged like petals around a central heart, with Śiva’s presence descending as light; Devī addressed as Girīndrajā.

Characters & Entities

• Avimukta
• Pārvatī (Girīndrajā)
• Liṅga
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s liberation-power is concentrated in specific liṅgas that manifest Śiva’s presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta—another revered name for Kāśī (Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit practice: darśana and reverent approach to the fourteen liṅgas to experience Śiva-sānnidhya.