Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

अतंद्रितमना आसीत्सा तल्लिंग निरीक्षणे । अक्ष्णोर्निमेषा यावंतस्तस्या आसन्दिवानिशम्

Transliteration

ataṃdritamanā āsītsā talliṃga nirīkṣaṇe | akṣṇornimeṣā yāvaṃtastasyā āsandivāniśam

Translation

كان ذهنها غيرَ فاترٍ وهي تنظر إلى ذلك اللِّينغا. وأما رمشُ عينيها—مهما كان يسيراً—فكان نادراً ليلاً ونهاراً، لأنها لم تُرِد أن تصرف نظرها.

Word by Word

• अतन्द्रितमना: with an unwearied mind, attentive-minded
• अतन्द्रितमना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-तन्द्रित-मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (masc. nom. sg.)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (fem. nom. sg.)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (neut. acc. sg.)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (neut. acc. sg.)

• निरीक्षणे: in/at the act of observing
• निरीक्षणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरीक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (neut. loc. sg.)

• अक्ष्णोः: of (her) two eyes
• अक्ष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), द्विवचन (neut. gen. du.)

• निमेषाः: blinks
• निमेषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (masc. nom. pl.)

• यावन्तः: as many as
• यावन्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यावत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (masc. nom. pl.)

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (fem. gen. sg.)

• आसन्: were
• आसन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• दिवा: by day
• दिवा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indecl. adverb of time)

• निशम्: by night
• निशम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indecl. adverb of time)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī (liṅga-darśana context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sādhvī stands or sits before a radiant liṅga in Kāśī, eyes fixed with near-unblinking devotion; lamp-flames steady, garlands nearby, the atmosphere hushed and luminous.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga (Oṃkāra-liṅga implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Single-pointed attention (ekāgratā) toward Śiva’s liṅga is praised as an ideal of devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred location; the verse exalts liṅga-darśana as a Kāśī-centered merit-bearing act.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Continuous liṅga-nirīkṣaṇa (steadfast darśana/gazing upon the liṅga) as a devotional discipline.