Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

एतल्लिंगं समभ्यर्च्य यो याति पथि मानवः । चौरव्याघ्रादिसंभूत भयं तस्य कुतो भवेत्

Transliteration

etalliṃgaṃ samabhyarcya yo yāti pathi mānavaḥ | cauravyāghrādisaṃbhūta bhayaṃ tasya kuto bhavet

Translation

Any person who duly worships this Liṅga and then travels on the road—how could fear arising from thieves, tigers, and the like ever befall him?

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (this)

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

• समभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• समभ्यर्च्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अभि + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having duly worshipped)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पथि: on the path
• पथि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• मानवः: a man
• मानवः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चौरव्याघ्रादिसंभूतम्: arising from thieves, tigers, etc.
• चौरव्याघ्रादिसंभूतम्: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चौर (प्रातिपदिक) + व्याघ्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + संभूत (भू धातु-क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (चौर-व्याघ्र-आदि-सम्भूतः) विशेषणम्

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कुतः: how/whence
• कुतः: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative adverb: whence/how)

• भवेत्: could be; would arise
• भवेत्: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śiva (continuing assurance)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: (Unnamed) protective liṅga of Kāśī in the narrative

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-puṅgavas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A traveler worships a roadside/shrine liṅga; lurking threats—thieves and tigers—recede, unable to approach due to Śiva’s protective aura.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Vyāghreśvara Liṅga (etalliṅga)
• thieves (caura)
• tigers (vyāghra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed through Liṅga-pūjā is said to transform worldly vulnerability into divinely guarded fearlessness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Vyāghreśvara Liṅga in Kāśī, presented as a protector for travelers.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Samabhyarcana—proper worship/archana of the Liṅga before undertaking travel.