Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

दर्शनात्तस्य लिंगस्य महाकारुणिकस्य वै । न क्षेत्रान्निर्गमो जातु बहिर्भवति कस्यचित्

Transliteration

darśanāttasya liṃgasya mahākāruṇikasya vai | na kṣetrānnirgamo jātu bahirbhavati kasyacit

Translation

Schon durch das bloße Schauen dieses Liṅga—wahrlich von höchstem Erbarmen—geht niemand jemals aus dem heiligen Feld (Kāśī) nach draußen fort.

Word by Word

• darśanāt: from seeing
• darśanāt: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन — Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• tasya: of that
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन — Genitive, Singular

• liṅgasya: of the liṅga
• liṅgasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन — Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• mahākāruṇikasya: of the greatly compassionate (one)
• mahākāruṇikasya: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + kāruṇika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन — Masculine, Genitive, Singular (qualifying ‘liṅgasya’)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha-bodhaka (Emphasis particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• kṣetrāt: from the sacred area
• kṣetrāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन — Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• nirgamaḥ: departure/going out
• nirgamaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nirgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• jātu: ever
• jātu: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: jātu (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘ever/at any time’)

• bahiḥ: outside
• bahiḥ: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Place adjunct/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bahiḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘outside’)

• bhavati: happens/is
• bhavati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धा.)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present indicative, 3rd person, Singular

• kasyacit: of anyone
• kasyacit: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + cit (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन — Genitive, Singular; अनिश्चितार्थ (‘someone’s/anyone’s’)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Karuṇeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim beholds the Karuṇeśvara liṅga; behind, the city-gates symbolically close, indicating ‘no departure from the kṣetra’; Śiva’s compassionate aura subtly encircles the viewer.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (kṣetra)
• Karuṇeśvara (Mahākāruṇika Liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s compassion, accessed through darśana in Kāśī, is portrayed as a binding grace that keeps the devotee within the liberating sphere of the kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Karuṇeśvara Liṅga in Kāśī, praised as “mahākāruṇika” (greatly compassionate).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The act emphasized is darśana (sacred viewing) of the Liṅga; no additional rite is specified in this verse.