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
随后，天女（Devī）先行顶礼，再次向大天（Mahādeva）请问此林伽（liṅga）的伟大威德，噢大圣者。
Word by Word
पुनःagain
पुनः:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootpunar (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: again)
चand
च:
Sambandha (Connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)
देवीthe Goddess
देवी:
Karta (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootdevī (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine nominative singular)
पप्रच्छasked
पप्रच्छ:
Kriyā (Action)
TypeVerb
Rootpra-√prach (धातु)
Formलिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd person singular perfect)
प्रणिपातपुरःसरम्with prostration first
प्रणिपातपुरःसरम्:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner)
TypeAdjective
Rootpraṇipāta (प्रातिपदिक) + puraḥsara (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘प्रणिपातः पुरःसरः यस्य तत्’ इति बहुव्रीह्यर्थे तत्पुरुषप्रायः; क्रियाविशेषणवत्—‘प्रणिपातं पूर्वं कृत्वा’ (neuter accusative singular used adverbially)
महिमानम्the greatness
महिमानम्:
Karma (Object of asking)
TypeNoun
Rootmahimān (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (masculine accusative singular)
महादेवम्Mahādeva (Śiva)
महादेवम्:
Sambandha (Apposition to mahimānam: greatness of Mahādeva)
TypeNoun
Rootmahā (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय—‘महान् देवः’ (masculine accusative singular)
लिङ्गस्यof the liṅga
लिङ्गस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootliṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन (neuter genitive singular)
अस्यof this
अस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive determiner)
TypeNoun
Rootidam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (genitive singular: ‘of this’)
महामुनेO great sage
महामुने:
Sambodhana (Address)
TypeNoun
Rootmahā (प्रातिपदिक) + muni (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, 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
D
Devī (Umā/Pārvatī)M
Mahādeva (Śiva)L
Liṅga (Ratneśvara, context)FAQs
True inquiry into sacred matters is grounded in humility; reverence precedes receiving kṣetra and liṅga teachings.
Kāśī, through the unfolding explanation of Ratneśvara-liṅga’s greatness.
Praṇipāta (prostration) as the proper preface to questioning and receiving sacred instruction.