Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

प्रदक्षिणीकरणतो लिंगस्यस्पर्शनादपि । पुण्यापुण्यवतीजाता कन्यापुष्पबटोर्गृहे

Transliteration

pradakṣiṇīkaraṇato liṃgasyasparśanādapi | puṇyāpuṇyavatījātā kanyāpuṣpabaṭorgṛhe

Translation

لِنگ کی پرَدَکْشِنا کرنے سے—اور لِنگ کو چھونے سے بھی—وہ پُنّیہ اور اَپُنّیہ دونوں کی حامل ہوئی، اور کنیہاپُشپبَٹو نامی برہماچاری کے گھر لڑکی کے طور پر پیدا ہوئی۔

Word by Word

• प्रदक्षिणीकरणतः: from circumambulating
• प्रदक्षिणीकरणतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रदक्षिणीकरण (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त), हेतुवाचक: ‘from/through circumambulation’

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• स्पर्शनात्: from touching
• स्पर्शनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अपि-कार (additive particle)

• पुण्यापुण्यवती: possessing merit and demerit
• पुण्यापुण्यवती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अपुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वत्/वती (तद्धित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण: ‘having both merit and demerit’

• जाता: became/was born
• जाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle) ‘born/become’, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कन्यापुष्पबटोर्: of the brahmacārin named Kanyāpuṣpa
• कन्यापुष्पबटोर्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्यापुष्पबटु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (रेफ-सन्ध्या: बटोः + गृहे)

• गृहे: in the house
• गृहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-liṅga (unspecified shrine within Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A liminal being gains human birth through a brief circumambulation around a Śiva-liṅga and a moment of touch; the next scene shows a modest brahmacārin’s home where the girl is born, marked by destiny’s duality.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅga
• Kāśī-kṣetra
• Kanyāpuṣpabaṭu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional acts like pradakṣiṇā and liṅga-sparśa generate puṇya, yet improper actions can still leave apuṇya—both shaping rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra and its Śiva-liṅga worship, especially circumambulation practices.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pradakṣiṇā of the liṅga and respectful contact (sparśa) are indicated as meritorious devotional acts.