Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

ततः शैलेश्वरकथा रत्नेशस्य च दर्शनम् । कृत्तिवासः समुत्पत्तिस्ततश्चायतनागमः

Transliteration

tataḥ śaileśvarakathā ratneśasya ca darśanam | kṛttivāsaḥ samutpattistataścāyatanāgamaḥ

Translation

پھر شَیلَیشور کی کتھا اور رَتنیش کے درشن کا ذکر ہے؛ پھر کِرتّیواس کی پیدائش، اور اس کے بعد آیتن (مندر) سے متعلق روایت کا بیان آتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक): thereafter

• शैलेश्वरकथा: the story of Śaileśvara
• शैलेश्वरकथा: Karta (Subject/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैलेश्वर + कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शैलेश्वरस्य कथा)

• रत्नेशस्य: of Ratneśa
• रत्नेशस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रत्नस्य ईशः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक-संयोजक): and

• दर्शनम्: the दर्शन/vision (sacred sight)
• दर्शनम्: Karta (Subject/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कृत्तिवासः: Kṛttivāsa (Śiva, skin-clad)
• कृत्तिवासः: Karta (Subject/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्ति + वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (कृत्तिः वासः यस्य सः—'one whose garment is a skin')

• समुत्पत्तिः: origin/arising
• समुत्पत्तिः: Karta (Subject/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुत्पत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक): thereafter

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक): and

• आयतनागमः: the coming/description of the shrine (āyatana)
• आयतनागमः: Karta (Subject/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयतन + आगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आयतनस्य आगमः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaileśvara; Ratneśa; Kṛttivāsa; Āyatana (shrine tradition)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequence of four vignettes: (1) Śaileśvara associated with a rocky hill/stone motif; (2) Ratneśa as a jewel-radiant liṅga granting darśana; (3) Kṛttivāsa’s origin—Śiva clothed in a skin/‘kṛtti’ motif or a devotee receiving a boon; (4) āyatana-āgama—priests installing a liṅga in a sanctum with ritual implements.

Characters & Entities

• Śaileśvara
• Ratneśa
• Kṛttivāsa
• Āyatana (shrine/temple tradition)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana of Kāśī’s Śaiva forms is treated as spiritually transformative; temple traditions are framed as sacred history, not mere architecture.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaileśvara, Ratneśa, and Kṛttivāsa—presented as notable Śiva-sites within Kāśī’s pilgrimage map.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the emphasis is on darśana and on the sanctity of established shrines (āyatanas).