Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 130

Devanagari script

स्वार्थदीपदशोद्योत लिंगमौलि तमोहरः । कलिंगविषये राज्यं प्राप्तो धर्मरतिः सदा

Transliteration

svārthadīpadaśodyota liṃgamauli tamoharaḥ | kaliṃgaviṣaye rājyaṃ prāpto dharmaratiḥ sadā

Translation

Ein Vertreiber der Finsternis, mit dem Liṅga als Scheitelkrone, strahlend wie zehn Lampen seines eigenen Vorsatzes—so erlangte er die Herrschaft im Land Kaliṅga und erfreute sich stets am Dharma.

Word by Word

• स्वार्थदीपदशोद्योत: illumining (like) ten lamps for one’s own purpose
• स्वार्थदीपदशोद्योत: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वार्थ-दीप-दश-उद्योत (प्रातिपदिक; स्वार्थ + दीप + दश + उद्योत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-समास, विशेषणम् (to ‘लिंगमौलिः/तमोहरः’)

• लिंगमौलिः: one whose crest is the Liṅga; liṅga-crowned (Śiva)
• लिंगमौलिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग-मौलि (प्रातिपदिक; लिङ्ग + मौलि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तमोहरः: remover of darkness
• तमोहरः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तमस्-हर (प्रातिपदिक; तमस् + हर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• कलिंगविषये: in the region of Kaliṅga
• कलिंगविषये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलिंग-विषय (प्रातिपदिक; कलिंग + विषय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• राज्यं: kingdom; sovereignty
• राज्यं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• प्राप्तः: has obtained; attained
• प्राप्तः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle) from √आप् with प्र-; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (finite sense: ‘has obtained’)

• धर्मरतिः: one devoted to dharma
• धर्मरतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म-रति (प्रातिपदिक; धर्म + रति)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra influence (implied); Kaliṅga as beneficiary land

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A crowned king whose diadem bears a small liṅga emblem; ten lamps blaze around him, symbolizing self-directed dharmic purpose; the realm of Kaliṅga is shown prospering under his righteous gaze.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅga
• Kaliṅga
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-devotion (liṅga as ‘crown’) and commitment to dharma are depicted as the true sources of inner illumination and outer prosperity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single Kāśī tīrtha is named; the verse connects Śaiva symbolism with the Kaliṅga realm within the story’s unfolding.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The imagery of lamps suggests dīpa-dāna/dīpa-sevā, though no direct injunction is stated in this verse.