Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

विचित्रजन्मकोटीनां स्मृतिर्नोत्र परिस्फुरेत् । एतत्तपस्विरचितलिंगपूजा विलोकनात्

Transliteration

vicitrajanmakoṭīnāṃ smṛtirnotra parisphuret | etattapasviracitaliṃgapūjā vilokanāt

Translation

Hier regt sich nicht die Erinnerung an unsere unzähligen, mannigfaltigen Geburten — denn beim Anblick dieser Verehrung des Liṅga, von einem Asketen errichtet, wird der Geist still.

Word by Word

• विचित्र-जन्म-कोटीनाम्: of crores of varied births
• विचित्र-जन्म-कोटीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचित्र + जन्मन् + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (कोटि); षष्ठी; बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (विचित्राणि जन्मानि तेषां कोटयः)

• स्मृतिः: memory
• स्मृतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• नः: our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी बहुवचन (enclitic)

• उत्र: here; in this regard
• उत्र: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here/therein; in this matter)

• परिस्फुरेत्: would arise clearly; would flash forth
• परिस्फुरेत्: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + स्फुर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Sambandha (Demonstrative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन

• तपस्वि-रचित-लिङ्ग-पूजा: the liṅga-worship performed by the ascetic
• तपस्वि-रचित-लिङ्ग-पूजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन् + रचित + लिङ्ग + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (पूजा); प्रथमा; एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (तपस्विना रचिता लिङ्गपूजा)

• विलोकनात्: from seeing; because of beholding
• विलोकनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + लोक् (धातु)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्यय: ल्युट्/अन (action noun); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative); एकवचन

Speaker

Birds (continuing their reflection before Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tapasvi-racita Liṅga (unnamed in verse) within Kāśī

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Internal audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic (tapasvin) performs or has established liṅga worship; birds watch, and a subtle aura indicates the calming of karmic memories—like ripples settling on water.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Tapasvī (ascetic)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seeing and honoring Liṅga-worship—especially that founded by tapas—can quiet the burdensome impressions of many births and turn the mind toward purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to a sacred Liṅga-worship context within Kāśī; while unnamed here, it aligns with Kāśī’s wider reputation for Liṅga-darśana and liberation-oriented merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pūjā (worship of Śiva’s Liṅga) and its darśana (beholding) are indicated as spiritually transformative.