Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

तस्या वाप्याश्चतुर्दिक्षु पूजितानि दहंत्यघम् । तदुत्तरे महालिंगं वृषभेश्वरसंज्ञितम्

Transliteration

tasyā vāpyāścaturdikṣu pūjitāni dahaṃtyagham | taduttare mahāliṃgaṃ vṛṣabheśvarasaṃjñitam

Translation

Wenn sie in den vier Himmelsrichtungen um jenen Teich verehrt werden, verbrennen sie die Sünde. Nördlich davon steht ein großes Liṅga namens Vṛṣabheśvara.

Word by Word

• तस्या: of it/that
• तस्या: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्

• वाप्याः: of the pond
• वाप्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्

• चतुः-दिक्षु: in the four directions
• चतुः-दिक्षु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुः (संख्या) + दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), बहुवचनम्; देशाधिकरणम्

• पूजितानि: worshipped
• पूजितानि: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचनम्; ‘having been worshipped’

• दहन्ति: burn away/destroy
• दहन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• अघम्: sin/evil
• अघम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta/Karma qualifier (निर्देशक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी/प्रथमा-समर्थः; अत्र निर्देश्य-विशेषणम् (that)

• उत्तरे: to the north/at the northern side
• उत्तरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्; देशाधिकरणम्

• महा-लिङ्गम्: great liṅga
• महा-लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Nom/Acc), एकवचनम्

• वृषभेश्वर-संज्ञितम्: named Vṛṣabheśvara
• वृषभेश्वर-संज्ञितम्: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; नामधेयवाचक-विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration, typically to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Catuḥsāgara (directional liṅgas) and Vṛṣabheśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim performs pūjā at four small liṅga shrines placed at the pond’s four sides; a subtle flame motif symbolizes sin being burned away. In the background, a larger northern shrine rises—Vṛṣabheśvara—marked by Nandin imagery.

Characters & Entities

• Catuḥsāgara-vāpī (implied)
• Four directional liṅgas (implied)
• Vṛṣabheśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Directional worship around a tīrtha is framed as a purifier, while nearby Śiva-liṅgas form a sacral network that ‘burns’ sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Catuḥsāgara pond area and the Vṛṣabheśvara Mahāliṅga located to its north.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā of the shrines/liṅgas situated in the four directions around the pond, with the stated effect of sin-destruction.