Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

कर्कोटेशात्प्रतीच्यां तु धुंधुमारीश्वराभिधम् । तल्लिंगाभ्यर्चनात्पुंसां न भवेद्वैरिजं भयम्

Transliteration

karkoṭeśātpratīcyāṃ tu dhuṃdhumārīśvarābhidham | talliṃgābhyarcanātpuṃsāṃ na bhavedvairijaṃ bhayam

Translation

কর্কোটেশের পশ্চিমদিকে ধুন্ধুমারীশ্বর নামে শিবলিঙ্গ বিরাজমান। সেই লিঙ্গের পূজায় মানুষের শত্রুজাত ভয় দূর হয়।

Word by Word

• कर्कोटेशात्: from (the shrine of) Karkoṭeśa
• कर्कोटेशात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्कोटेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः कर्कोट + ईश (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• प्रतीच्याम्: in the west
• प्रतीच्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतीची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• धुंधुमारीश्वराभिधम्: named ‘Dhuṃdhumārīśvara’
• धुंधुमारीश्वराभिधम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धुंधुमारीश्वर + अभिध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः धुंधुमारी + ईश्वर (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः) + अभिध (बहुव्रीहि/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः, ‘नामधेय’ अर्थे)

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (सम्बन्धे)

• लिङ्ग: liṅga (Śiva emblem)
• लिङ्ग: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अभ्यर्चनात्: from worship
• अभ्यर्चनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभ्यर्चन (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; ‘अभ्यर्च्’ धातोः भाववाचक-नाम

• पुंसाम्: of men/people
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

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

• भवेत्: would be/arise
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• वैरिजम्: born of enemies; hostile
• वैरिजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैरिज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; समासः वैरि (शत्रु) + ज (उत्पन्न) (तत्पुरुषः)

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda instructing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhuṃdhumārīśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/seekers addressed through the frame dialogue of Kāśīkhaṇḍa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim approaches a modest shrine of Dhuṃdhumārīśvara west of Karkoṭeśa; the liṅga is garlanded, lamps flicker, and a protective aura dispels shadowy figures symbolizing enemies and fear.

Characters & Entities

• Karkoṭeśa/Karkoṭakeśvara
• Dhuṃdhumārīśvara
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s presence in Kāśī is presented as active refuge: liṅga-worship is a dharmic means for removing fear and hostility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhuṃdhumārīśvara, situated west of Karkoṭeśa in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abhyarcana (devotional worship) of the Dhuṃdhumārīśvara liṅga.