Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । कृत्तिवासः समुत्पत्तिं ये श्रोष्यंतीह मानवाः । तल्लिंगदर्शनाच्छ्रेयो लप्स्यंते नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | kṛttivāsaḥ samutpattiṃ ye śroṣyaṃtīha mānavāḥ | talliṃgadarśanācchreyo lapsyaṃte nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Skanda dit : Ceux qui, ici, écouteront le récit de l’origine de Kṛttivāsa obtiendront assurément le bien spirituel ; et par le darśana de ce Liṅga ils atteindront une heureuse félicité — il n’y a là aucun doute.

Word by Word

• स्कन्दः: Skanda
• स्कन्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• कृत्ति-वासः: Kṛttivāsa
• कृत्ति-वासः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; here as object-topic with samutpattiṃ (genesis of Kṛttivāsa)

• समुत्पत्तिम्: origin, account of arising
• समुत्पत्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुत्पत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

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

• श्रोष्यन्ति: will hear
• श्रोष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• मानवाः: people, humans
• मानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• तत्-लिङ्ग-दर्शनात्: from seeing that liṅga
• तत्-लिङ्ग-दर्शनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (दर्शन), पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेतौ (ablative of cause)

• श्रेयः: the highest good, welfare
• श्रेयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• लप्स्यन्ते: will obtain
• लप्स्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• अत्र: here, in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṛttivāseśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (implied by surrounding context of Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogues; explicit listener not in this verse but consistent with adjacent address patterns)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda as divine teacher speaking to an attentive assembly; behind him, the Kṛttivāseśvara shrine glows. Two streams of devotees: listeners seated with palms joined, and pilgrims approaching for darśana.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Kṛttivāsa
• Kṛttivāseśvara Liṅga (implied)
• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Both śravaṇa (devotional listening) and darśana (sacred viewing) are affirmed as powerful means to attain śreyaḥ—true spiritual welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Liṅga associated with Kṛttivāsa—Kṛttivāseśvara in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa of the māhātmya/origin narrative and darśana of the liṅga.