Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

वाताहतस्तूलराशिरिव विद्राति दूरतः । कपालमोचनपुरो दृष्ट्वा लिंगं महाबलम्

Transliteration

vātāhatastūlarāśiriva vidrāti dūrataḥ | kapālamocanapuro dṛṣṭvā liṃgaṃ mahābalam

Translation

Just as a heap of cotton, struck by the wind, is scattered far away, so (sin) flees to a distance when one beholds the Mahābala liṅga at Kapālamocana, the sacred place of skull-release.

Word by Word

• वात-आहतः: struck by the wind
• वात-आहतः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वात (प्रातिपदिक) + आहत (कृदन्त; √हन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘आहत’ = struck; ‘वातेन आहतः’ (instrumental sense)

• तूल-राशिः: a heap of cotton
• तूल-राशिः: Upamāna (Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तूल + राशि (प्रातिपदिक; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘तूलस्य राशिः’

• इव: like
• इव: Upamā (Simile marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• विद्राति: runs away, flees
• विद्राति: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + द्रा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• दूरतः: from far away
• दूरतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: ‘from afar/at a distance’)

• कपालमोचन-पुरः: in front of Kapālamocana
• कपालमोचन-पुरः: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कपालमोचन (प्रातिपदिक; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः) + पुरस्/पुरः (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुरः/पुरस् (अव्यय: ‘in front of’); समासे ‘कपालमोचनस्य पुरः’

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): ‘having seen’

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• महाबलम्: Mahābala
• महाबलम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + बल (प्रातिपदिक; कर्मधारयः)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘लिङ्गम्’)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapālamocana (with Mahābala-liṅga)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience within Purāṇic frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Kapālamocana, a small courtyard shrine: the Mahābala liṅga stands central; a gust of wind lifts a heap of cotton into the air, visually paralleling dark wisps (sins) scattering away as the devotee’s gaze fixes on the liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Mahābala Liṅga
• Kapālamocana
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pāpa is portrayed as fragile before sacred darśana in Kāśī; the tīrtha’s grace disperses impurity effortlessly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapālamocana, in relation to the Mahābala liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana of the Mahābala liṅga at Kapālamocana is the emphasized act.