Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

शंभोर्लिंगं समभ्यर्च्य पुरुषार्थचतुष्टयम् । प्राप्नोत्यत्र पुमान्सद्यो नात्र कार्या विचारणा

Transliteration

śaṃbhorliṃgaṃ samabhyarcya puruṣārthacatuṣṭayam | prāpnotyatra pumānsadyo nātra kāryā vicāraṇā

Translation

Wer hier den Liṅga Śambhus in rechter Weise verehrt, erlangt sogleich die vier Lebensziele — dharma, artha, kāma und mokṣa; daran ist nicht zu zweifeln.

Word by Word

• शंभोः: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• शंभोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

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

• समभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• समभ्यर्च्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+अभि+अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• पुरुषार्थ-चतुष्टयम्: the four aims of human life
• पुरुषार्थ-चतुष्टयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषार्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + चतुष्टय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular); तत्पुरुष: पुरुषार्थाणां चतुष्टयम्

• प्राप्नोति: attains
• प्राप्नोति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपद

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• पुमान्: a man/person
• पुमान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुमांस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• कार्या: to be done/necessary
• कार्या: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण/प्रेडिकेट)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular); विधेय-विशेषणम् (to be done)

• विचारणा: deliberation/doubt
• विचारणा: Karta/Predicate-noun (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचारणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Śambhu-liṅga worship)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī shrine with a Śiva-liṅga; four symbolic streams (dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa) emanate as icons: scripture, prosperity, love, and a liberated light—showing completeness of fruit.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Śambhu)
• Śivaliṅga
• Kāśī (implied by section)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, Śivaliṅga worship is presented as an all-completing sādhanā that fulfills all four puruṣārthas, culminating in mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), the sacred field where Śambhu’s liṅga worship is said to yield immediate spiritual and worldly fulfillment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Samabhyarcana—proper worship of Śambhu’s liṅga (liṅga-pūjā/arcana).