Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

नानाधातुमयानीशे दार्षदान्यप्यनेकशः । स्वयंभून्यप्यनेकानि देवर्षिस्थापितान्यहो

Transliteration

nānādhātumayānīśe dārṣadānyapyanekaśaḥ | svayaṃbhūnyapyanekāni devarṣisthāpitānyaho

Translation

Hỡi Nữ thần, nhiều liṅga được làm bằng các thứ kim loại khác nhau, và nhiều liṅga quả thật bằng đá. Nhiều liṅga là svayambhū (tự hiển lộ), và nhiều—thật kỳ diệu—do các thánh hiền thiên giới thiết lập.

Word by Word

• nānādhātumayāni: made of various minerals/metals
• nānādhātumayāni: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nānā-dhātu-maya (प्रातिपदिकानि: nānā + dhātu + maya)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘-maya’ = made of

• īśe: in (the realm of) Īśa / the Lord
• īśe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; संबोधनार्थे/स्थानवाचक प्रयोगः (here: ‘in/at Īśa’ i.e., in the Lord’s domain)

• dārṣadāni: made of stone
• dārṣadāni: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dārṣada (प्रातिपदिक; dṛṣad ‘stone’ से)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘stone-made’

• api: also
• api: Sambandha/Avadhāraṇa (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• anekaśaḥ: in many ways; manifold
• anekaśaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anekaśas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); ‘in many ways/many times’

• svayaṃbhūni: self-born/self-manifest
• svayaṃbhūni: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svayaṃ-bhū (प्रातिपदिक; svayam + bhū)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘self-manifest’

• api: also
• api: Sambandha/Avadhāraṇa (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• anekāni: many
• anekāni: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aneka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• devarṣisthāpitāni: established by divine sages
• devarṣisthāpitāni: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: deva-ṛṣi-sthāpita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; deva + ṛṣi + sthāpita; √sthā (धातु) caus. sthāpaya + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; कर्मणि भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘established’

• aho: ah! indeed!
• aho: Bhāva (Exclamation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयादिबोधक निपात (exclamatory particle)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandakānana (Avimukta/Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequence of shrines: metallic liṅgas gleaming (copper, bronze, gold-like), stone liṅgas weathered and ancient, and a radiant svayambhū liṅga emerging from earth; sages perform consecration rites.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Devarṣi (divine seers)
• Svayaṃbhū-liṅga
• Kāśī
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holiness in Kāśī is not limited by material form—metal, stone, self-manifest, or sage-installed—each liṅga is a valid locus for Śiva’s grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider Kāśī-kṣetra, especially Ānandakānana, as a field dense with varied liṅgas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, liṅga-pratiṣṭhā by ṛṣis is acknowledged; the detailed ritual is not stated in this verse.