Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

इत्याकर्ण्य महेशानस्तस्या देव्याः सुभाषितम् । कथयामास र्विध्यारे महालिंगानि सत्तम

Transliteration

ityākarṇya maheśānastasyā devyāḥ subhāṣitam | kathayāmāsa rvidhyāre mahāliṃgāni sattama

Translation

大自在天（Maheśāna）听罢那位女神的善妙言辞，便开始—噢诸善中最胜者—依次宣说诸大林伽。

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• आकर्ण्य: having heard
• आकर्ण्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+कर्ण् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund)

• महेशानः: Maheśāna (Śiva)
• महेशानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine)

• देव्याः: of the goddess
• देव्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine)

• सुभाषितम्: the well-spoken words
• सुभाषितम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + भाषित (कृदन्त; भाष् धातु + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारयः (सु-भाषितम् = well-spoken speech)

• कथयामास: he narrated/told
• कथयामास: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; नामधातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• ऋषिवध्यारे: O (sage-)Vidhyāra/Vadhyāra (uncertain reading)
• ऋषिवध्यारे: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि + वध्यार (प्रातिपदिकानि; पाठभेद/दुर्लभ)
• Form: सम्बोधन/सप्तमी-एकवचन (Voc./Loc. sg.) पाठानुसार अनिश्चित; तत्पुरुषः (ऋषीणां वध्यारः/विध्यारे इति)

• महालिङ्गानि: great liṅgas
• महालिङ्गानि: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); कर्मधारयः (महानि लिङ्गानि)

• सत्तम: O best one
• सत्तम: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; सत्-तमप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual frame within Devī–Śiva dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahāliṅgas of Kāśī (collective)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed to a ‘sattama’ (best of the virtuous) in the frame; immediate listener is Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva begins teaching; a scroll-like vision unfurls behind him showing successive Kāśī liṅgas as icons along ghāṭs and lanes, indicating ‘in proper order’. Devī listens attentively.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśāna (Śiva)
• Devī
• Mahā-liṅgas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When devotion and sincere inquiry are offered, the Lord reveals sacred knowledge and the pathways of liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, specifically its ‘great liṅgas’ that Śiva is about to enumerate.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription; it functions as a narrative transition into the listing of worship-worthy liṅgas.