Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

महाकालस्य तल्लिंगं यैर्दृष्टं कष्टिभिः क्वचित । न स्पृष्टास्ते महापापैर्न दृष्टास्ते यमोद्भटैः

Transliteration

mahākālasya talliṃgaṃ yairdṛṣṭaṃ kaṣṭibhiḥ kvacita | na spṛṣṭāste mahāpāpairna dṛṣṭāste yamodbhaṭaiḥ

Translation

Wer jenes Liṅga des Mahākāla irgendwann unter großer Mühe erblickt hat, wird von schweren Sünden nicht berührt und von Yamās grimmigen Dienern nicht gesehen.

Word by Word

• महाकालस्य: of Mahākāla
• महाकालस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (demonstrative)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यैः: by whom
• यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• दृष्टम्: seen
• दृष्टम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (लिङ्गम् इति कर्मणि)

• कष्टिभिः: by ascetics/rigorous practitioners
• कष्टिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; (कष्टि = तपस्विनी/कठोरव्रता इत्यर्थे)

• क्वचित्: sometimes/somewhere
• क्वचित्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/देशवाचक (adverb: at some time/somewhere)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• स्पृष्टाः: touched/affected
• स्पृष्टाः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• महापापैः: by great sins
• महापापैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (महत् पापम्)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• दृष्टाः: seen (caught sight of)
• दृष्टाः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• यमोद्भटैः: by Yama's fierce attendants
• यमोद्भटैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम-उद्भट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (यमस्य उद्भटाः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī-khaṇḍa discourse, often Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla-liṅga (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim, weary from travel, finally beholds Mahākāla’s liṅga; shadowy Yama-dūtas recoil and fade at the threshold; a protective aura surrounds the devotee.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla
• Liṅga
• Yama
• Yamodbhaṭa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere darśana of Mahākāla is portrayed as a decisive turning point that burns heavy sin and removes fear of Yama.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mahākāla Liṅga in the Mahākāla kṣetra (Avantī/Ujjayinī context).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the act emphasized is liṅga-darśana attained with effort and devotion.