Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

प्रतिष्ठितानि यानीह मुक्तिहेतूनि तान्यपि । अदृश्यान्यपि दृश्यानि दुरवस्थान्यपि प्रिये

Transliteration

pratiṣṭhitāni yānīha muktihetūni tānyapi | adṛśyānyapi dṛśyāni duravasthānyapi priye

Translation

Hỡi người yêu dấu, bất cứ liṅga nào được thiết lập nơi đây, tất thảy đều là nhân duyên đưa đến giải thoát (mokṣa). Dẫu vô hình cũng có thể được thấy; dẫu ở tình trạng suy hoại vẫn đáng tôn thờ trong kṣetra này.

Word by Word

• pratiṣṭhitāni: established
• pratiṣṭhitāni: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pratiṣṭhita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; prati-√sthā (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; कर्मणि भूतकृदन्त ‘established’

• yāni: which (things)
• yāni: Pradhāna (Correlative/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• iha: here
• iha: Deśa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• muktihetūni: causes of liberation
• muktihetūni: Viśeṣya/Pradhāna (Predicate/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukti-hetu (प्रातिपदिकानि: mukti + hetu)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘cause of liberation’

• tāni: those
• tāni: Pradhāna (Correlative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; तद्-प्रत्यय (correlative pronoun)

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

• adṛśyāni: invisible
• adṛśyāni: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-dṛśya (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √dṛś (धातु) + यत्; नकारार्थ a-)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘not visible’

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

• dṛśyāni: visible
• dṛśyāni: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dṛśya (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √dṛś (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘visible’

• duravasthāni: in poor state / hard to access
• duravasthāni: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur-avasthā (प्रातिपदिक; dur + avasthā)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘in bad condition/difficult to approach’

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

• priye: O beloved (lady)
• priye: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे संबोधन विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandakānana / Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in the grove bows to a weathered, partly hidden liṅga under roots and stones; another liṅga is invisible but indicated by a subtle aura; Śiva’s unseen grace pervades, suggesting liberation emanating from the kṣetra itself.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Mukti
• Śiva-liṅga
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, consecrated Śiva-symbols remain liberation-giving regardless of visibility or outward condition—kṣetra-prabhāva surpasses externals.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra itself, as a mukti-field where liṅga-darśana/ स्मरण carries exceptional power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No detailed rite; it implies the value of darśana (seeing) and reverence even for overlooked liṅgas.