Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

लिंगत्रयशरीरिण्यास्तस्याः सान्निध्यतः स हि । दिव्यं वपुः समासाद्य राक्षसस्त्रिदिवं ययौ

Transliteration

liṃgatrayaśarīriṇyāstasyāḥ sānnidhyataḥ sa hi | divyaṃ vapuḥ samāsādya rākṣasastridivaṃ yayau

Translation

En vérité, par la seule proximité d’elle—qui portait les trois corps subtils—le Rākṣasa obtint une forme divine et gagna les mondes célestes.

Word by Word

• लिङ्गत्रयशरीरिण्याः: of (her) who has the three liṅgas as body
• लिङ्गत्रयशरीरिण्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग-त्रय-शरीरिणी (प्रातिपदिक; लिङ्ग + त्रय + शरीरिन्/शरीरिणी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (लिङ्गत्रयस्य शरीरं यस्याः)

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

• सान्निध्यतः: from (her) proximity
• सान्निध्यतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सान्निध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे—‘सान्निध्यतः’ = सान्निध्यात् (from proximity)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphatic)

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वपुः-विशेषण)

• वपुः: body, form
• वपुः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वपुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समासाद्य: having attained
• समासाद्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; ‘having attained/approached’

• राक्षसः: the demon
• राक्षसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सः इति कर्तृपदस्य विशेषण/अपपद-सम्बन्धः

• त्रिदिवम्: to heaven (the three worlds)
• त्रिदिवम्: Karma (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि-दिव (प्रातिपदिक; त्रि + दिव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (त्रयाणां दिवानां समाहारः/स्वर्गः)

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly framed as Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fearsome Rākṣasa stands near a radiant feminine sacred presence; his dark, coarse form dissolves into a luminous, divine body, ascending toward svarga with celestial attendants.

Characters & Entities

• Rākṣasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contact with sanctity (satsaṅga/sānnidhya) can elevate even the fallen; proximity to purity and dharma transforms destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī setting; the implied glorification is of sacred presence and its power, though no named tīrtha appears.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; it conveys a doctrinal point about proximity and transformation.