Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

वृद्धकालेश्वरे लिंगे सेवितेन दरिद्रता । नोपसर्गा न वा रोगा न पापं नाघजं फलम्

Transliteration

vṛddhakāleśvare liṃge sevitena daridratā | nopasargā na vā rogā na pāpaṃ nāghajaṃ phalam

Translation

بعبادة لِنغا فِرِدّهاكالِيشْفَرا (Vṛddhakāleśvara) تُطرَد الفاقة؛ فلا نوازل ولا أمراض، ولا إثم، ولا ثمرة تولّدت من سوء الفعل.

Word by Word

• वृद्धकालेश्वरे: in (the shrine of) Vṛddhakāleśvara
• वृद्धकालेश्वरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/समास (determinative: 'of old-time/old-age lord' as a name), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• लिङ्गे: in the liṅga
• लिङ्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• सेवितेन: by (its) worship/service
• सेवितेन: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु) → सेवित (कृदन्त-भूतकृत्)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; भावे/हेतौ (as cause: 'by having been served/when served')

• दरिद्रता: poverty
• दरिद्रता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दरिद्रता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not/no
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation particle)

• उपसर्गाः: afflictions/calamities
• उपसर्गाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपसर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Plural)

• न: nor
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध

• वा: or
• वा: Samuccaya/Vikalpa (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive particle: or/indeed)

• रोगाः: diseases
• रोगाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• न: no
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: no
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध

• अघजम्: sin-born
• अघजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अघ (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त: √जन्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative: 'born of sin'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying फलम्)

• फलम्: result/fruit
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator within Skanda’s Kāśī Māhātmya discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vṛddhakāleśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages at Naimiṣāraṇya (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees offer bilva leaves and water to the Vṛddhakāleśvara liṅga; behind them, symbols of poverty and illness recede—broken begging bowl mended, healing aura around bodies—signifying removal of daridratā and roga.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛddhakāleśvara
• Śiva-liṅga
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service to Śiva in Kāśī is presented as both spiritual purification and worldly protection—removing sin and its karmic consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vṛddhakāleśvara-liṅga in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā/worship (liṅga-sevā) of Vṛddhakāleśvara.