Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

समभ्यर्च्य महालिंगं सकृदेव त्रिलोचनम् ऽ । मुच्यते कलुषैः सर्वैरपिजन्मशतार्जितैः

Transliteration

samabhyarcya mahāliṃgaṃ sakṛdeva trilocanam ' | mucyate kaluṣaiḥ sarvairapijanmaśatārjitaiḥ

Translation

Wer den Großen Liṅga—Trilocana, den Dreiäugigen—auch nur ein einziges Mal in rechter Weise verehrt, wird von allen Unreinheiten frei, selbst von denen, die sich über Hunderte von Geburten angesammelt haben.

Word by Word

• समभ्यर्च्य: having duly worshipped
• समभ्यर्च्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), उपसर्ग: सम्+अभि; क्रिया-पूर्वकत्व (having worshipped)

• महालिङ्गम्: the great Liṅga
• महालिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; समास: महत्+लिङ्ग = महालिङ्ग

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Particle/निपात), अवधारणार्थक (emphatic)

• त्रिलोचनम्: the Three-eyed (Śiva)
• त्रिलोचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; समास: त्रयाणि लोचनानि यस्य (त्रि+लोचन)

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• कलुषैः: from sins/impurities
• कलुषैः: Hetu/Instrument (करण/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचन

• सर्वैः: all
• सर्वैः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying कलुषैः)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Particle/निपात), समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ (even/also)

• जन्मशतार्जितैः: acquired over a hundred births
• जन्मशतार्जितैः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन्म (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्जित (√अर्ज्, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन; समास: जन्मशतेन अर्जिताः (sins) इति; विशेषणम् (qualifying कलुषैः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Trilocana Mahāliṅga (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience (ṛṣi/saunaka-style frame typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Kāśī offers water and bilva leaves to the dark stone Mahāliṅga of Trilocana; lamps flicker, Gaṅgā’s presence is felt, and the devotee’s burden of past sins is shown dissolving like smoke.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāliṅga
• Trilocana
• Kaluṣa (impurity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A single wholehearted act of worship at Kāśī’s Trilocana is said to erase deep karmic impurity and open the way to liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), through the Mahāliṅga identified as Trilocana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Samabhyarcana/arcana—proper worship—of the Trilocana Mahāliṅga, even once.