Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

सकृत्त्रिलोचनार्चातो यच्छ्रेयः समुपार्ज्यते । न तदा जन्मसंपूंज्य लिंगान्यन्यानि लभ्यते

Transliteration

sakṛttrilocanārcāto yacchreyaḥ samupārjyate | na tadā janmasaṃpūṃjya liṃgānyanyāni labhyate

Translation

Welches höchste Heil auch immer durch nur eine einzige Verehrung Trilocanas erworben wird—ist es erlangt, braucht man keine weiteren Geburten anzuhäufen, um andere Liṅgas zu suchen.

Word by Word

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/आवृत्ति-अव्यय (adverb: once)

• त्रिलोचनार्चातः: from the worship of Trilocana
• त्रिलोचनार्चातः: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिलोचन + अर्चा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (त्रिलोचनस्य अर्चा)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• श्रेयः: the highest good/benefit
• श्रेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• समुपार्ज्यते: is obtained/earned
• समुपार्ज्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उप-आर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• तदा: then/at that time
• तदा: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (temporal adverb: then)

• जन्मसंपूज्य: having duly worshipped (through) birth(s) / after honoring birth
• जन्मसंपूज्य: Purvakala (Absolutive/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन्म + सम्पूज्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: अव्ययभावे/कर्मणि-क्तव्य/ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerund/absolutive) from सम्-पूज्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (जन्मना/जन्मस्य सम्पूज्य)

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas (emblems)
• लिङ्गानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• अन्यानि: other
• अन्यानि: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying लिङ्गानि)

• लभ्यते: is obtained
• लभ्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Trilocana-liṅga (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/pilgrims within Kāśī-māhātmya frame (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone pilgrim performs a single, complete pūjā at Trilocana: offering water, bilva, and a lamp; behind, a faint wheel of saṃsāra dissolves, indicating release from repeated births.

Characters & Entities

• Trilocana
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a single sincere worship of Trilocana in Kāśī is portrayed as spiritually decisive, eclipsing the need for long, birth-after-birth seeking.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), through the special greatness of the Trilocana Liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sakṛd-arcana—performing even one worship—of Trilocana is emphasized.