Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

लिंगार्चने भवेद्वृद्धिस्तेषामेवात्र भास्कर । येषां पुनर्भवच्छेदं चिकीर्षति महेश्वरः

Transliteration

liṃgārcane bhavedvṛddhisteṣāmevātra bhāskara | yeṣāṃ punarbhavacchedaṃ cikīrṣati maheśvaraḥ

Translation

Ô Bhāskara, en ce lieu sacré, l’adoration du Liṅga apporte un véritable accroissement spirituel à ceux-là mêmes dont Maheśvara veut trancher la chaîne des renaissances.

Word by Word

• लिङ्गार्चने: in the worship of the liṅga
• लिङ्गार्चने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लिङ्गस्य अर्चने)

• भवेत्: would be / arises
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• वृद्धिः: increase, growth (of merit)
• वृद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Deshadhikarana (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• भास्कर: O Bhāskara (Sun)
• भास्कर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भास्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• येषाम्: of whom
• येषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-यत्

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Avyaya (Adverb/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/पुनरावृत्तिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• भवच्छेदम्: cutting off of rebirth
• भवच्छेदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव + छेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भवस्य छेदम्)

• चिकीर्षति: wishes to do, intends
• चिकीर्षति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; सन्नन्त-रूपम् (desiderative: चिकीर्ष-)

• महेश्वरः: Mahādeva, the Great Lord
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa norm)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni (sage) addressed in the narrative frame; Bhāskara addressed within the verse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In Kāśī’s luminous sacred precinct, Hari addresses Bhāskara (Sun) about liṅga-worship that grants spiritual growth and can cut off rebirth by Maheśvara’s intent.

Characters & Entities

• Bhāskara (Sūrya)
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liṅga-worship in Kāśī is portrayed as a direct means toward spiritual ascent, culminating in liberation when Śiva wills the end of rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is implied as the sacred setting where Liṅgārcana yields exceptional fruit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅgārcana—devotional worship of Śiva’s Liṅga—is recommended as the key practice.