Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

लिंगं वाजसनेयाख्यं तत्रास्त्यतिमनोहृरम् । तस्य संदर्शनात्पुंसां वाजपेयफलं भवेत्

Transliteration

liṃgaṃ vājasaneyākhyaṃ tatrāstyatimanohṛram | tasya saṃdarśanātpuṃsāṃ vājapeyaphalaṃ bhavet

Translation

Il s’y trouve un Liṅga très ravissant nommé Vājasaneya. Par son seul darśana, les hommes obtiennent le fruit du sacrifice Vājapeya.

Word by Word

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन

• वाजसनेय-आख्यम्: named ‘Vājasaneya’
• वाजसनेय-आख्यम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाजसनेय (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• अति-मनः-हरम्: exceedingly mind-enchanting
• अति-मनः-हरम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषण

• तस्य: of it/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• संदर्शनात्: from seeing (it)
• संदर्शनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम् + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (cause)

• पुंसाम्: of men/people
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुम्स्/पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case/Genitive), बहुवचन

• वाजपेय-फलम्: the fruit of the Vājapeya (sacrifice)
• वाजपेय-फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजपेय (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case/Nominative), एकवचन

• भवेत्: would be/comes to be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vājasaneya-liṅga

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small but radiant Śiva-liṅga labeled “Vājasaneya” in a Kāśī shrine; pilgrims approach with folded hands as a subtle aura suggests the unseen grandeur of a Vājapeya sacrifice transmuted into darśana.

Characters & Entities

• Vājasaneya Liṅga
• Vājapeya (yajña)
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī compresses the merit of great Vedic rites into simple pilgrimage acts—darśana itself can equal major sacrificial rewards.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Vājasaneya-named liṅga site in Kāśī, famed for granting Vājapeya-yajña fruit through darśana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Saṃdarśana (darśana) of the Vājasaneya liṅga; the merit is equated to Vājapeya.