Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

अनाराध्य महादेवमेषु लिंगेषु कुंभज । कः काश्यां मोक्षमाप्नोति सत्यं सत्यं पुनःपुनः

Transliteration

anārādhya mahādevameṣu liṃgeṣu kuṃbhaja | kaḥ kāśyāṃ mokṣamāpnoti satyaṃ satyaṃ punaḥpunaḥ

Translation

噢，壶生者（Kumbhaja，阿伽斯提耶）！若不在这些林伽中礼敬大自在天（Mahādeva），谁能在迦尸（Kāśī）得解脱？此乃真实——真实无疑——一再宣说。

Word by Word

• anārādhya: without worshipping
• anārādhya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial qualifier of main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: an-ā-rādh (धातु √rādh)
• Form: कृदन्त (absolutive/त्वान्त-प्रायः, here -ya form), नकार-निषेधपूर्वकः; अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; ‘आराध्य’ = having worshipped, ‘अनाराध्य’ = without worshipping

• mahādevam: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• mahādevam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahādeva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः महा + देव (कर्मधारय)

• eṣu: in these
• eṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन; ‘एषु’ = in these

• liṅgeṣu: in the liṅgas
• liṅgeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• kuṃbhaja: O Kumbhaja (Agastya)
• kuṃbhaja: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuṃbhaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः कुंभ + ज (षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष: ‘born from a pot’)

• kaḥ: who?
• kaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• kāśyām: in Kāśī
• kāśyām: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• mokṣam: liberation
• mokṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mokṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• āpnoti: attains
• āpnoti: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √āp (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• satyam: truly
• satyam: Vākyopapādaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्य-निश्चयार्थक (assertive particle)

• satyam: truly
• satyam: Vākyopapādaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति-बलार्थक

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• punaḥ: again and again
• punaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति-बलार्थक

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra) — the cluster of ‘these liṅgas’ referenced in context

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Kumbhaja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda instructs Agastya within the luminous precincts of Kāśī; multiple ancient liṅgas appear as sanctified points in the cityscape, with pilgrims offering bilva leaves and lamps; the tone is emphatic—‘truth repeated again and again’.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Mahādeva
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation in Kāśī is tied to devoted worship of Śiva as present in the sacred liṅgas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is praised as a mokṣa-kṣetra, especially through its Śiva-liṅgas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ārādhana/pūjā (worship) of Mahādeva in the designated liṅgas is emphasized.