Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

यद्यप्येवं तथापीश विशेषं वक्तुमर्हसि । काश्यामनादिसिद्धानि कानि लिंगानि शंकर

Transliteration

yadyapyevaṃ tathāpīśa viśeṣaṃ vaktumarhasi | kāśyāmanādisiddhāni kāni liṃgāni śaṃkara

Translation

اگرچہ ایسا ہی ہے، پھر بھی اے پروردگار! آپ کو اس کی خصوصیت اور امتیاز تفصیل سے بیان کرنا چاہیے۔ اے شنکر! کاشی میں کون سے لِنگ ازل سے قائم (انادی سِدّھ) ہیں؟

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/शर्त-निपात (conditional particle)

• अपि: even though
• अपि: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (concessive)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• तथा: so, in that way
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

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

• ईश: O Lord
• ईश: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• विशेषम्: a particular detail
• विशेषम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• वक्तुम्: to speak
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive)

• अर्हसि: you ought, you are fit
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• अनादि-सिद्धानि: beginningless and established (eternal)
• अनादि-सिद्धानि: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनादि (प्रातिपदिक) + सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (अनादि च तानि सिद्धानि च)

• कानि: which
• कानि: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

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

• शंकर: O Śaṅkara
• शंकर: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Anādi-siddha liṅgas of Kāśī (category)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A respectful questioner addresses Śaṅkara in Kāśī; behind them a map-like vista of shrines, with certain liṅgas highlighted as ancient, self-luminous points—‘anādi-siddha’ nodes in the sacred city.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Kāśī
• Anādi-siddha liṅgas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places have layers of sanctity; Devī seeks the most primordial (anādi-siddha) manifestations to guide focused devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, with emphasis on its beginningless, eternally established Śiva-liṅgas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse sets up an inquiry that typically leads to guidance on which liṅgas to worship.