Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

कुंडोदरेश्वराल्लिंगात्प्रतीच्यामसिरोधसि । मयूरेश्वरमभ्यर्च्य न गर्भं प्रतिपद्यते

Transliteration

kuṃḍodareśvarālliṃgātpratīcyāmasirodhasi | mayūreśvaramabhyarcya na garbhaṃ pratipadyate

Translation

To the west of the Kuṇḍodareśvara-liṅga, on the ridge called Asirodhas, by worshipping Mayūreśvara one does not fall again into the womb (is not reborn).

Word by Word

• कुण्डोदरेश्वरात्: from Kuṇḍodareśvara
• कुण्डोदरेश्वरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्डोदर + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कुण्डोदरस्य ईश्वरः)

• लिङ्गात्: from the liṅga
• लिङ्गात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचन

• प्रतीच्याम्: to the west/in the western direction
• प्रतीच्याम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतीची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; दिग्वाचक

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• रोधसि: on the bank/shore
• रोधसि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• मयूरेश्वरम्: Mayūreśvara
• मयूरेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मयूर + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मयूरस्य ईश्वरः)

• अभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• अभ्यर्च्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अभि-अर्च् (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

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

• गर्भम्: womb/pregnancy
• गर्भम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• प्रतिपद्यते: attains/undergoes
• प्रतिपद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mayūreśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim worships Mayūreśvara on the Asirodhas ridge west of Kuṇḍodareśvara; the composition emphasizes ascent/height and the cessation of rebirth—calm sky, steady lamp, still mind.

Characters & Entities

• Kuṇḍodareśvara
• Mayūreśvara
• Asirodhas
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s Śiva-kṣetra is depicted as a liberating geography where focused worship can lead toward freedom from rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mayūreśvara, located west of Kuṇḍodareśvara at Asirodhas in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abhyarcana (devotional worship) of Mayūreśvara for the aim of liberation from repeated birth.