Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

निशम्येति महादेवी पुनः पादौ प्रणम्य च । देह्यनुज्ञां महादेव लिंगसंस्थापनाय मे

Transliteration

niśamyeti mahādevī punaḥ pādau praṇamya ca | dehyanujñāṃ mahādeva liṃgasaṃsthāpanāya me

Translation

大女神闻此，再次俯伏于（湿婆）足下而启曰：“噢摩诃提婆，请赐我许可，使我得以安立林伽（liṅga）。”

Word by Word

• निशम्य: having heard
• निशम्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-शम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), परस्मैपदी-धातु; अव्ययभावेन क्रियाविशेषणम् (having heard)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/उक्तिसंबन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-निपात (quotative particle)

• महादेवी: the Great Goddess (Pārvatī)
• महादेवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/पुनरावृत्ति-वाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• पादौ: (his) two feet
• पादौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund); अव्ययभावेन (having bowed)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• देहि: grant (give)
• देहि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अनुज्ञाम्: permission
• अनुज्ञाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• महादेव: O Mahādeva
• महादेव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• लिङ्ग-स्थापनाय: for the स्थापना (installation) of the liṅga
• लिङ्ग-स्थापनाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान-अर्थः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थापना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (स्थापनम्/स्थापना-शब्दः), चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लिङ्गस्य स्थापना)

• मे: for me / my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी-संबन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaurī, serene and radiant, bows at Śiva’s feet within a sacred Kāśī setting, hands folded, requesting permission for liṅga installation; attendants and subtle aura of Avimukta surround them.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)
• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even divine acts are rooted in humility and proper sanction—devotion is expressed through reverence and seeking dharmic permission.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is the sacred setting where the liṅga’s greatness will be proclaimed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-saṃsthāpana (installation/establishment of a Śiva-liṅga) is introduced as the key act.