Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

पुनश्च देवी पप्रच्छ प्रणिपातपुरःसरम् । महिमानं महादेवं लिंगस्यास्य महामुने

Transliteration

punaśca devī papraccha praṇipātapuraḥsaram | mahimānaṃ mahādevaṃ liṃgasyāsya mahāmune

Translation

Rồi Nữ Thần lại thưa hỏi—sau khi cúi lạy trước—với Mahādeva về đại uy đức của liṅga này, hỡi bậc đại hiền triết.

Word by Word

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: again)

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

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine nominative singular)

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• पप्रच्छ: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√prach (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd person singular perfect)

• प्रणिपातपुरःसरम्: with prostration first
• प्रणिपातपुरःसरम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praṇipāta (प्रातिपदिक) + puraḥsara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘प्रणिपातः पुरःसरः यस्य तत्’ इति बहुव्रीह्यर्थे तत्पुरुषप्रायः; क्रियाविशेषणवत्—‘प्रणिपातं पूर्वं कृत्वा’ (neuter accusative singular used adverbially)

• महिमानम्: the greatness
• महिमानम्: Karma (Object of asking)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahimān (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (masculine accusative singular)

• महादेवम्: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• महादेवम्: Sambandha (Apposition to mahimānam: greatness of Mahādeva)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय—‘महान् देवः’ (masculine accusative singular)

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन (neuter genitive singular)

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive determiner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (genitive singular: ‘of this’)

• महामुने: O great sage
• महामुने: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; कर्मधारय—‘महान् मुनिः’ (vocative singular)

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda, Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Before the newly established shrine, the Goddess bows and then questions Mahādeva about the greatness of this particular liṅga; Śiva stands serene, ready to teach.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Umā/Pārvatī)
• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Liṅga (Ratneśvara, context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True inquiry into sacred matters is grounded in humility; reverence precedes receiving kṣetra and liṅga teachings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, through the unfolding explanation of Ratneśvara-liṅga’s greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praṇipāta (prostration) as the proper preface to questioning and receiving sacred instruction.