Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

बृहस्पतीश्वरं लिंगं मया गोप्यं कलौ युगे । अस्य संदर्शनादेव प्रतिभा प्रतिलभ्यते

Transliteration

bṛhaspatīśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ mayā gopyaṃ kalau yuge | asya saṃdarśanādeva pratibhā pratilabhyate

Translation

هذا اللِّينغا لبْرِهَسْبَتِيشْفَرَا ينبغي أن أُخفيه في عصر كالي؛ غير أنّ مجرد رؤيته يمنح المرء ذكاءً مُلهَماً (براتيبها).

Word by Word

• बृहस्पति-ईश्वरम्: Bṛhaspatīśvara
• बृहस्पति-ईश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहस्पति (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘बृहस्पतेः ईश्वरः’ (नाम)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गोप्यम्: to be kept secret
• गोप्यम्: Kriya-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुप् (धातु)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/भाव्य), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘to be concealed/kept secret’

• कलौ: in Kali
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘in Kali (age)’

• युगे: in the age
• युगे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• संदर्शनात्: from the sight (of it)
• संदर्शनात्: Apadana (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संदर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Nishedha/Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• प्रतिभा: insight, brilliance
• प्रतिभा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रतिलभ्यते: is obtained
• प्रतिलभ्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Śiva’s declaration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bṛhaspatīśvara

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A partially concealed shrine or subterranean niche in Kāśī holds the Bṛhaspatīśvara liṅga; a devotee catches a fleeting glimpse, and a subtle radiance rises toward the forehead symbolizing pratibhā; the mood is secret, protective, and wondrous.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspatīśvara-liṅga
• Kali-yuga
• Pratibhā
• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in Kali-yuga, sacred darśana in Kāśī bestows inner illumination and inspired insight.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bṛhaspatīśvara-liṅga in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), praised for granting pratibhā through mere दर्शन.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana itself is presented as efficacious; no additional rite is required in this verse.