Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

यैर्लिंगं सकृदप्यत्र पूजितं पार्वतीपतेः । कुतो दुःखभयं तेषां संसारे दुःखभाजने

Transliteration

yairliṃgaṃ sakṛdapyatra pūjitaṃ pārvatīpateḥ | kuto duḥkhabhayaṃ teṣāṃ saṃsāre duḥkhabhājane

Translation

For those who have worshipped, even once, the liṅga of Pārvatī’s Lord here—how could there be fear of sorrow for them in this world that is a vessel of suffering?

Word by Word

• यैः: by whom
• यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun: by whom)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (काल/परिमाण-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (once)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक-अव्यय (even)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (here)

• पूजितम्: worshipped
• पूजितम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु) → पूजित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे—‘(लिङ्गम्) पूजितम् (अस्ति)’

• पार्वतीपतेः: of the Lord of Pārvatī (Śiva)
• पार्वतीपतेः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वती + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पार्वत्याः पतिः)

• कुतः: how/whence
• कुतः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (प्रश्न-अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (whence/how)

• दुःखभयम्: fear of suffering
• दुःखभयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख + भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दुःखस्य भयम्)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (of them)

• संसारे: in worldly existence
• संसारे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• दुःखभाजने: in the receptacle of suffering
• दुःखभाजने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख + भाजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दुःखस्य भाजनम् = receptacle of suffering)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-Avimukta (Pārvatīpati-liṅga worship)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A trembling householder approaches a Kāśī liṅga shrine; after a single offering, his posture relaxes into calm, while shadowy forms of sorrow recede into the background of the bustling ghāṭ.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Pārvatīpati)
• Śivaliṅga
• Pārvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A single sincere act of Śiva-liṅga worship grants inner fearlessness, even amid the inevitable pains of saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, indicated by ‘here’ (atra) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s praise of liṅga worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā of the liṅga of Pārvatīpati (Śiva), even once.