Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

यत्र रत्नमयं लिंगमाविर्भूतं स्वयं मुने । तस्य स्फुरत्प्रभाजालैस्ततमंबरमंडलम्

Transliteration

yatra ratnamayaṃ liṃgamāvirbhūtaṃ svayaṃ mune | tasya sphuratprabhājālaistatamaṃbaramaṃḍalam

Translation

اے مُنی! جہاں وہ جواہرات سے بنا لِنگم خود بخود ظاہر ہوا، وہاں اس کی چمکتی ہوئی شعاعوں کے جال نے آسمان کے سارے گنبد کو پھیلا کر ڈھانپ لیا۔

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative locative adverb: where)

• रत्नमयम्: jewel-made
• रत्नमयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत्न-मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; adjective)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• आविर्भूतम्: manifested
• आविर्भूतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आविर् + भू (धातु) → आविर्भूत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘प्रकटितम्’ (PPP; Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• स्वयम्: by itself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/अव्यय (indeclinable; ‘of itself’)

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

• तस्य: of it
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Pronoun; Neuter, Genitive, Singular)

• स्फुरत्प्रभाजालैः: by (its) flashing nets of radiance
• स्फुरत्प्रभाजालैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्फुरत्-प्रभा-जाल (प्रातिपदिक; स्फुरत् (कृदन्त) + प्रभा + जाल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Plural)

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Pronoun; Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• अम्बरमण्डलम्: the sphere of the sky
• अम्बरमण्डलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बर-मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक; अम्बर + मण्डल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; Kāśī Khaṇḍa discourse tradition)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Svayaṃbhū Ratna-liṅga at Śaileśvara (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni (explicitly addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The jewel-liṅga emits interlacing beams; the sky dome above is filled with a net of shimmering light, as if a celestial canopy has been woven from gem-flashes.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅga
• Śaileśvara (implied)
• Sage (listener, unspecified)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A true tīrtha is marked by divine self-manifestation and an atmosphere transformed by sacred radiance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Śaileśvara Liṅga-site in Kāśī, portrayed as a svayaṃbhū manifestation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse functions as māhātmya—establishing the site’s miraculous sign (radiant theophany).