Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

अतंद्रितमना आसीत्सा तल्लिंग निरीक्षणे । अक्ष्णोर्निमेषा यावंतस्तस्या आसन्दिवानिशम्

Transliteration

ataṃdritamanā āsītsā talliṃga nirīkṣaṇe | akṣṇornimeṣā yāvaṃtastasyā āsandivāniśam

Translation

Her mind was untiring as she gazed upon that liṅga. The blinks of her eyes—whatever they were—were scarcely there, day and night, for she would not turn away.

Word by Word

• अतन्द्रितमना: with an unwearied mind, attentive-minded
• अतन्द्रितमना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-तन्द्रित-मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (masc. nom. sg.)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (fem. nom. sg.)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (neut. acc. sg.)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (neut. acc. sg.)

• निरीक्षणे: in/at the act of observing
• निरीक्षणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरीक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (neut. loc. sg.)

• अक्ष्णोः: of (her) two eyes
• अक्ष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), द्विवचन (neut. gen. du.)

• निमेषाः: blinks
• निमेषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (masc. nom. pl.)

• यावन्तः: as many as
• यावन्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यावत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (masc. nom. pl.)

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (fem. gen. sg.)

• आसन्: were
• आसन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• दिवा: by day
• दिवा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indecl. adverb of time)

• निशम्: by night
• निशम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indecl. adverb of time)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī (liṅga-darśana context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sādhvī stands or sits before a radiant liṅga in Kāśī, eyes fixed with near-unblinking devotion; lamp-flames steady, garlands nearby, the atmosphere hushed and luminous.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga (Oṃkāra-liṅga implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Single-pointed attention (ekāgratā) toward Śiva’s liṅga is praised as an ideal of devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred location; the verse exalts liṅga-darśana as a Kāśī-centered merit-bearing act.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Continuous liṅga-nirīkṣaṇa (steadfast darśana/gazing upon the liṅga) as a devotional discipline.