Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

यल्लिंगदर्शनादेव दुर्दमो नाम पार्थिवः । उद्वेजकोपि लोकानां क्षणाद्धर्ममतिस्त्वभूत्

Transliteration

yalliṃgadarśanādeva durdamo nāma pārthivaḥ | udvejakopi lokānāṃ kṣaṇāddharmamatistvabhūt

Translation

Schon durch den bloßen Anblick jenes Liṅga wurde der König namens Durdama—obwohl er den Menschen Schrecken einjagte—in einem Augenblick zu einem, dessen Geist auf Dharma ausgerichtet war.

Word by Word

• यत्: from which
• यत्: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन; sandhi in यल्- (यत् + लिङ्ग...)

• लिङ्गदर्शनात्: from seeing the liṅga
• लिङ्गदर्शनात्: Apadana (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (लिङ्गस्य दर्शनम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — emphasis “just/indeed”

• दुर्दमः: Durdama
• दुर्दमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्दम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (Appositive marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (नामनिर्देशक निपात) — “by name”

• पार्थिवः: king
• पार्थिवः: Apposition to Karta (कर्ता-विशेषण/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; जातिवाचक — “king”

• उद्वेजकः: disturbing/terrifying
• उद्वेजकः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्वेजक (प्रातिपदिक; √विज्/उद्विज् धातु-जन्य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; sandhi in उद्वेजकोऽपि

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — “even/also”

• लोकानाम्: of people/worlds
• लोकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन

• क्षणात्: in a moment/from a moment
• क्षणात्: Apadana (Ablative time-from/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन; sandhi in क्षणाद्-

• धर्ममतिः: one whose mind is on dharma
• धर्ममतिः: Karta/Predicate nominative (कर्ता/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (धर्मे मति: / धर्मविषया मति:), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — contrast/emphasis “but/indeed”

• अभूत्: became
• अभूत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: That Kāśī Liṅga (name not given in the verse)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a Kāśī shrine: a radiant liṅga on yoni-pīṭha, lamps flickering; King Durdama enters with stern posture, then softens instantly—hands fold, eyes moisten, weapons lowered; townspeople watch in relief.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• King Durdama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana of a powerful sacred symbol can catalyze immediate inner reform, turning even a harmful ruler toward dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises ‘that Liṅga’ within Kāśī’s sacred domain; the precise shrine-name is expected in the surrounding verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-darśana (devotional viewing) itself is presented as efficacious.