Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

गंगेश्वरस्य लिंगस्य काश्यां दृष्टिः सुदुर्लभा । तिथौ दशहरायां च यो गंगेशं समर्चयेत्

Transliteration

gaṃgeśvarasya liṃgasya kāśyāṃ dṛṣṭiḥ sudurlabhā | tithau daśaharāyāṃ ca yo gaṃgeśaṃ samarcayet

Translation

In Kāśī, the very darśana—the sight—of the Gaṅgeśvara liṅga is exceedingly rare. And whoever, on the Daśaharā tithi, worships Gaṅgeśa with full reverence…

Word by Word

• गंगेश्वरस्य: of Gaṅgeśvara (Lord of Gaṅgā)
• गंगेश्वरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गंगेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) = गंगा + ईश्वर
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गंगायाः ईश्वरः)

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• दृष्टिः: the sight/vision
• दृष्टिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• सुदुर्लभा: very rare/difficult to obtain
• सुदुर्लभा: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुदुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दृष्टिः इति)

• तिथौ: on the lunar day
• तिथौ: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• दशहरायाम्: on Daśaharā (the ‘remover of ten’ day)
• दशहरायाम्: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशहरा (प्रातिपदिक) = दश + हरा
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (दशान् हरति इति/दशहराः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• गंगेशम्: Gaṅgeśa
• गंगेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गंगेश (प्रातिपदिक) = गंगा + ईश
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गंगायाः ईशः)

• समर्चयेत्: should worship
• समर्चयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgeśvara (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Kāśī approaches a modest, possibly partially concealed Śiva-liṅga named Gaṅgeśvara; Gaṅgā’s presence is implied through water offerings and riverfront ambience; the moment is marked as Daśaharā with festive yet reverent atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgeśvara
• Kāśī
• Daśaharā (tithi)
• Darśana
• Pūjā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rare darśana and timely worship in a supreme kṣetra magnify spiritual merit—Kāśī makes sacred encounters exceptionally potent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgeśvara liṅga in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship (samarcana/pūjā) of Gaṅgeśvara specifically on the Daśaharā tithi.