Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

सा पूजिता प्रयत्नेन सुखवस्तिप्रदा सदा । महादेवस्य पूर्वेण गोप्रेक्षं लिंगमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

sā pūjitā prayatnena sukhavastipradā sadā | mahādevasya pūrveṇa goprekṣaṃ liṃgamuttamam

Translation

When she (Vigrahavatī) is worshipped with sincere effort, she ever grants happy dwelling and well-being. To the east of Mahādeva is the excellent liṅga called Goprekṣa.

Word by Word

• सा: she/that (city)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पूजिता: worshipped
• पूजिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √पूज् (धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• सुखवस्तिप्रदा: giver of happy dwelling/prosperity
• सुखवस्तिप्रदा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुख + वस्ति + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—सुखं वस्तिं (सुखवस्ति) प्रददाति इति (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• महादेवस्य: of Mahādeva
• महादेवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; समासः—महान् + देवः (कर्मधारय)

• पूर्वेण: to the east (of)
• पूर्वेण: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; दिक्शब्दः—‘to the east of’ (directional instrumental)

• गोप्रेक्षम्: ‘Goprekṣa’ (cow-seeing)
• गोप्रेक्षम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गो + प्रेक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—गाः प्रेक्षते इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vigrahavatī; Goprekṣa-liṅga

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees worship Vigrahavatī with lamps and garlands; the scene then shifts to the east of Mahādeva where the Goprekṣa liṅga stands, adorned with bilva and a small Nandi, suggesting a calm, prosperous household blessing.

Characters & Entities

• Vigrahavatī
• Mahādeva (tīrtha)
• Goprekṣa-liṅga
• Vārāṇasī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional effort (prayatna) in worship bears tangible and subtle fruits—well-being in life and auspiciousness through Kāśī’s deity-network.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vigrahavatī (as worship-worthy) and the Goprekṣa liṅga located east of the Mahādeva tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā of Vigrahavatī ‘with effort’ is recommended; the verse also gives directional guidance for locating Goprekṣa-liṅga.