Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

नान्य द्दिदृक्षिणी तस्या अक्षिणी श्रुतिगे अपि । विहाय लिंगमोंकारं हृद्विहायः स्थितं सताम्

Transliteration

nānya ddidṛkṣiṇī tasyā akṣiṇī śrutige api | vihāya liṃgamoṃkāraṃ hṛdvihāyaḥ sthitaṃ satām

Translation

لم تكن عيناها تشتهيان رؤيةَ شيءٍ آخر، وإن بلغت أذنيها أصواتٌ سواها. فكيف تترك الأومكارا-لينغا—شيفا—الذي يقيم ملجأً في قلب الصالحين؟

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• अन्यत्: anything else
• अन्यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (neut. acc. sg.)

• दिदृक्षिणी: wishing to see
• दिदृक्षिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सन्नन्त/इच्छार्थक कृदन्त (desiderative derivative: 'wishing to see') (fem. nom. sg.)

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

• अक्षिणी: (her) two eyes
• अक्षिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन (neut. nom. du.)

• श्रुतिगे: in what is heard / in the ear (uncertain)
• श्रुतिगे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रुति-ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (neut. loc. sg.); पाठभेद-सूचक (reading uncertain)

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपेक्षा (particle: 'also/even')

• विहाय: having abandoned
• विहाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि + हा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) अव्यय (having abandoned)

• लिङ्ग-ओंकारम्: the liṅga in the form of Oṃkāra
• लिङ्ग-ओंकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + ओंकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (masc. acc. sg.)

• हृत्-विहायः: the heart-space / inner expanse (uncertain)
• हृत्-विहायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृत्/हृद् (प्रातिपदिक) + विहायस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; पाठभेद/दुर्लभ-समास (uncertain compound)

• स्थितम्: situated, abiding
• स्थितम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रियाविशेषण-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle) (neut. nom./acc. sg.)

• सताम्: of the good/saints
• सताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन (masc. gen. pl.)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Oṃkāra-liṅga (within Kāśī/Avimukta context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sādhvī sits steady before the Oṃkāra-liṅga; around her, faint figures and sounds suggest worldly bustle, yet her gaze remains fixed; a subtle heart-lotus glow indicates Śiva as inner refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Oṃkāra-liṅga
• Śiva (implied as the liṅga’s indwelling reality)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Exclusive devotion (ananyatā) is praised: the devotee’s senses turn away from distractions and rest in Śiva as inner refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the setting; the verse highlights Oṃkāra-liṅga (Omkareshvara-style) worship within Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed; the practice emphasized is unwavering darśana and non-abandonment of Oṃkāra-liṅga worship.