Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

यानीह संति लिंगानि तानि सर्वाण्यसंशयम् । निर्वाणकारणान्येव स्वयंभून्यपि तान्यपि

Transliteration

yānīha saṃti liṃgāni tāni sarvāṇyasaṃśayam | nirvāṇakāraṇānyeva svayaṃbhūnyapi tānyapi

Translation

یہاں جو بھی لِنگ ہیں، وہ سب بلا شبہ نِروان (موکش) کے اسباب ہیں؛ اور ان میں سویمبھو، یعنی خود ظاہر ہونے والے لِنگ بھی شامل ہیں۔

Word by Word

• यानि: which (things)
• यानि: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Locative/Setting)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• सन्ति: are, exist
• सन्ति: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas, emblems
• लिङ्गानि: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• तानि: those
• तानि: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; निर्देश (demonstrative)

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• असंशयम्: without doubt
• असंशयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असंशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) नपुंसक-आकारान्त-प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषण

• निर्वाण-कारणानि: causes of liberation
• निर्वाण-कारणानि: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (निर्वाणस्य कारणानि)

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) अवधारणार्थक

• स्वयंभूनि: self-manifested
• स्वयंभूनि: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वयंभू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• तानि: those
• तानि: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• अपि: too, also
• अपि: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

Speaker

Narrative voice (context: Devī–Śiva dialogue in Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-liṅga-samūha (the liṅgas of Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic Kāśī with countless small liṅga-shrines glowing like lamps; among them a few svayaṃbhū liṅgas emerge from the earth/rock, self-radiant, while devotees circumambulate in silence.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Śiva-liṅga
• Nirvāṇa
• Svayaṃbhū

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, worship and contact with Śiva’s liṅgas is intrinsically liberating—Kāśī is framed as a mokṣa-kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), especially its many Śiva-liṅgas, including svayaṃbhū manifestations.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, reverence of the liṅgas (darśana/pūjā) is encouraged, though no step-by-step rite is listed in this verse.