Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

पवमानेश्वरं लिंगं मध्ये जन्मसकृन्नरः । यथोक्तविधिना पूज्य सुगंधस्नपनादिभिः

Transliteration

pavamāneśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ madhye janmasakṛnnaraḥ | yathoktavidhinā pūjya sugaṃdhasnapanādibhiḥ

Translation

Ein Mensch soll, wenn auch nur ein einziges Mal im Laufe des Lebens, den Liṅga des Pavamāneśvara nach der vorgeschriebenen Weise verehren — durch duftende Abwaschung und andere Darbringungen.

Word by Word

• पवमानेश्वरम्: Pavamāneśvara (name of Śiva)
• पवमानेश्वरम्: कर्म (Object; of implied पूजयेत्/समाराध्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पवमान-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; पवमान + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘Lord of Pavamāna’)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: कर्म (Object; apposition to पवमानेश्वरम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-निभ (locative adverbial usage), सप्तमी-अर्थे (in the middle)

• जन्म: birth, lifetime
• जन्म: सम्बन्ध (Relation within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी-सम्बन्धार्थे (genitive relation as first member), एकवचन (Singular); समासपूर्वपद

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), कालवाचक (adverb of frequency: ‘once’)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• यथा: as, according to
• यथा: क्रियाविशेषण (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (adverb: ‘as/according to’)

• उक्त: said, prescribed
• उक्त: विशेषण (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), समासपूर्वपद; ‘said’

• विधिना: by the method
• विधिना: करण (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुष (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भाव: ‘by the prescribed method’)

• पूज्य: should be worshipped
• पूज्य: विधेय (Obligation/predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive: ‘to be worshipped’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-सम्भाव्य; here predicate/vidhi sense

• सुगन्ध: fragrance, perfumed
• सुगन्ध: सम्बन्ध (Relation within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुगन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद (compound member)

• स्नपन: bathing, ablution
• स्नपन: सम्बन्ध (Relation within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नपन (प्रातिपदिक; स्नप्/स्ना-धातुजन्य)
• Form: समासमध्यपद (compound member)

• आदिभिः: with etcetera items (and the like)
• आदिभिः: करण (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः—तत्पुरुष (समाहार/‘etc.’ as last member of compound: ‘with perfumed bathing etc.’)

Speaker

Śiva (contextual, continuing the instruction/boon regarding Pavamāneśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pavamāneśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Not explicit

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs fragrant abhiṣeka to Pavamāneśvara-liṅga with perfumed water, sandal paste, and flowers, following a priest’s guidance; the sanctum is intimate and ritual-focused.

Characters & Entities

• Pavamāneśvara
• Śiva
• Liṅga
• Kāśī (implicit context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a single properly performed act of Śiva-worship at a celebrated Kāśī-liṅga can be spiritually decisive.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pavamāneśvara Liṅga in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship as per yathokta-vidhi, especially sugandha-snapana (fragrant ablution/abhiṣeka) and related offerings.