Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

गणनादिवसादवार्ङ्ममभक्तजनैःप्रिये । प्रतिष्ठितानि यानीह तेषां संख्या न विद्यते

Transliteration

gaṇanādivasādavārṅmamabhaktajanaiḥpriye | pratiṣṭhitāni yānīha teṣāṃ saṃkhyā na vidyate

Translation

اے محبوبہ! جس دن سے شمار کا آغاز ہوا، میرے بھکت یہاں لِنگوں کی پرتیِشٹھا کرتے آئے ہیں؛ اس لیے یہاں پرتیِشٹھت لِنگوں کی تعداد معلوم نہیں۔

Word by Word

• गणना: counting; enumeration
• गणना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दिवसात्: from the day
• दिवसात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Ablative singular)

• अवार्ङ्मम्: uninterrupted; not turning back
• अवार्ङ्मम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-वार्ङ्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-समासभाव: ‘not turned back/ not reversed’ (sense: uninterrupted/continuous)

• अभक्तजनैः: by non-devotees
• अभक्तजनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-भक्त-जन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘भक्ताः न’ इति नञ्-तत्पुरुष: by non-devotee people

• प्रिये: O dear one
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन (Vocative)

• प्रतिष्ठितानि: established
• प्रतिष्ठितानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिष्ठित (कृदन्त; √स्था धातु with प्रति-उपसर्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘established’

• यानि: which (things)
• यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• तेषाम्: of those
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• संख्या: number
• संख्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• विद्यते: exists; is known
• विद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (धातु; ‘to be/ to exist’ in passive-like usage)
• Form: लट् लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; ‘exists/is known’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī/Avimukta (liṅga-pratiṣṭhā tradition)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī (priye)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva tells Pārvatī that since counting began, devotees have continuously established liṅgas in Kāśī, making their number unknowable—suggesting a timeless stream of pilgrims and consecrations.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Bhakta (devotees)
• Śiva-liṅga
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Continuous devotion across ages makes Kāśī’s sanctity ever-expanding; the kṣetra is shaped by unbroken bhakti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra broadly, as the perennial home of devotees’ consecrations.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā is referenced as an ongoing devotional act, but no procedural details are given.