Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

शैलेश्वरादवाच्यां तु सहस्राक्षेश्वरं विभुम् । दृष्ट्वा जन्मसहस्राणां शतानां पातकं त्यजेत्

Transliteration

śaileśvarādavācyāṃ tu sahasrākṣeśvaraṃ vibhum | dṛṣṭvā janmasahasrāṇāṃ śatānāṃ pātakaṃ tyajet

Translation

From Śaileśvara, in the region called Avācyā, came the mighty Sahasrākṣeśvara. By seeing him, one casts off the sin accumulated over hundreds of thousands of births.

Word by Word

• शैलेश्वरात्: from Śaileśvara
• शैलेश्वरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैलेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शैलस्य ईश्वरः)

• अवाच्याम्: (to) Avācyā (a place)
• अवाच्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवाच्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (अवाच्य-नगरी/अवाच्या इति स्थाननाम)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• सहस्राक्षेश्वरम्: Sahasrākṣeśvara
• सहस्राक्षेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्राक्ष + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सहस्राक्षस्य ईश्वरः)

• विभुम्: the all-pervading lord
• विभुम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सहस्राक्षेश्वरम्)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: दृश्-धातोः क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); ‘having seen’

• जन्मसहस्राणाम्: of thousands of births
• जन्मसहस्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (जन्मानां सहस्राणि)

• शतानाम्: of hundreds
• शतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पातकम्: sin
• पातकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्यजेत्: would abandon, should give up
• त्यजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sahasrākṣeśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A powerful Sahasrākṣeśvara-liṅga stands in a shrine; as a pilgrim beholds it, dark smoke-like layers (symbolizing sins of many births) peel away and dissolve into light; the liṅga’s aura is vast and protective.

Characters & Entities

• Śaileśvara
• Avācyā
• Sahasrākṣeśvara
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic theology of grace: darśana of a Kāśī liṅga is celebrated as powerful enough to erase vast karmic burdens.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Sahasrākṣeśvara in Kāśī, linked to an origin from Śaileśvara in Avācyā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dṛśana—seeing/visiting Sahasrākṣeśvara, emphasized as a sin-destroying act.