Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

विश्वेशाद्वायुदिग्भागे शंकुकर्णेश्वरं नरः । संपूज्य न विशेदत्र घोरे संसारसागरे

Transliteration

viśveśādvāyudigbhāge śaṃkukarṇeśvaraṃ naraḥ | saṃpūjya na viśedatra ghore saṃsārasāgare

Translation

One who duly worships Śaṃkukarṇeśvara, situated in the direction of Vāyu from Viśveśa, does not enter again into the dreadful ocean of saṃsāra.

Word by Word

• विश्वेशात्: from Viśveśvara
• विश्वेशात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन

• वायुदिग्भागे: in the wind-direction quarter (northwest)
• वायुदिग्भागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु + दिक् + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वायोः दिग्भागः = the quarter of the wind, i.e., northwest)

• शङ्कुकर्णेश्वरम्: Śaṅkukarṇeśvara
• शङ्कुकर्णेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कुकर्ण + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संपूज्य: having duly worshipped
• संपूज्य: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√पूज् (धातु) → संपूज्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund); उपसर्गः—सम्; अर्थः—सम्यक् पूजयित्वा

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• विशेत्: would enter
• विशेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√विश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक (here)

• घोरे: terrible
• घोरे: Adhikarana (Qualifier/अधिकरणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘संसारसागरे’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• संसारसागरे: in the ocean of saṃsāra
• संसारसागरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार + सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (संसाररूपः सागरः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṃkukarṇeśvara

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stylized map-like scene: Viśveśa at the center like a radiant axis, with a path leading to Śaṃkukarṇeśvara in the vāyu quarter; the pilgrim’s worship causes a dark ocean labeled ‘saṃsāra’ to recede.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśa (Viśvanātha)
• Śaṃkukarṇeśvara
• Kāśī
• Vāyu-dik (northwest)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Proper worship in Kāśī, aligned with its sacred geography, is taught as a path beyond saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaṃkukarṇeśvara in Kāśī, described as located northwest (Vāyu quarter) of Viśveśa/Viśvanātha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Saṃpūjā—duly worshipping Śaṃkukarṇeśvara.