Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

यस्येश्वरे सदाभक्तिर्यः काशीतत्त्ववित्तमः । स एवैतानि लिंगानि वेत्स्यत्यन्यो न कश्चन

Transliteration

yasyeśvare sadābhaktiryaḥ kāśītattvavittamaḥ | sa evaitāni liṃgāni vetsyatyanyo na kaścana

Translation

唯有恒常敬奉主、并真正通达迦尸（Kāśī）内在真谛之人，方能识得这些林伽；除此之外，无人能识。

Word by Word

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• īśvare: in the Lord
• īśvare: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (always)

• bhaktiḥ: devotion
• bhaktiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• kāśī-tattva-vit-tamaḥ: the best knower of Kāśī’s truth
• kāśī-tattva-vit-tamaḥ: Karta (Apposition to yaḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक) + tattva (प्रातिपदिक) + vid (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक ‘knower’) + tama (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः काशी-तत्त्व-विद् (तत्पुरुष: ‘knower of the truth of Kāśī’) + तमप् (superlative)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• eva: alone/indeed
• eva: Vākyopapādaka (Emphasis particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• etāni: these
• etāni: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• liṅgāni: liṅgas
• liṅgāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• vetsyati: will know
• vetsyati: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; √vid ‘to know’ → vetsyati

• anyaḥ: another (person)
• anyaḥ: Karta (Subject of implied negation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• kaścana: anyone (at all)
• kaścana: Karta (Subject under negation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim + cana (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक + निपात)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अनिश्चित/निरपेक्ष सर्वनाम ‘anyone’ (often with negation = ‘no one’)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gupta-liṅgas of Kāśī (recognizable only to the qualified)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda states an exclusivity principle: among many, only the steadfast devotee-knower perceives the hidden liṅgas. Visually, one pilgrim sees a glowing liṅga where others see ordinary stone—symbol of inner vision.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual qualification—steady devotion and insight into Kāśī’s tattva—reveals the sacred.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is portrayed as possessing an inner ‘tattva’ that only true devotees understand.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied discipline: sustained bhakti and contemplative understanding of Kāśī’s sacred principle.