Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

वाराणस्यां महादेवो दृष्टो यैर्लिंगरूपधृक् । तेन त्रैलोक्यलिंगानि दृष्टानीह न संशयः

Transliteration

vārāṇasyāṃ mahādevo dṛṣṭo yairliṃgarūpadhṛk | tena trailokyaliṃgāni dṛṣṭānīha na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Quiconque a vu Mahādeva à Vārāṇasī—lui qui revêt la forme du Liṅga—par cela même a vu les Liṅgas des trois mondes ; il n’y a là aucun doute.

Word by Word

• वाराणस्याम्: in Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• महादेवः: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• महादेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—महान् + देवः

• दृष्टः: seen
• दृष्टः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘seen’

• यैः: by whom / by those who
• यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्यतः), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• लिङ्गरूपधृक्: bearing the form of a liṅga
• लिङ्गरूपधृक्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिङ्ग + रूप + धृ (धातु) (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—लिङ्गस्य रूपं (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + धृक् (धारयिता, ‘bearer’)

• तेन: therefore / by that (reason)
• तेन: Hetu/Karana (Cause/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• त्रैलोक्यलिङ्गानि: the liṅgas of the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यलिङ्गानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैलोक्य + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन; समासः—त्रैलोक्यस्य लिङ्गानि (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• दृष्टानि: seen
• दृष्टानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘(they are) seen’

• इह: here
• इह: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• न: not / no
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta/Predicate nominal (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa context, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), Viśveśvara/Avimukteśvara liṅga-darśana (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands before a radiant Kāśī-liṅga (Viśveśvara archetype), while faintly in the background appear symbolic Liṅgas of the three worlds—earth, mid-region, and heaven—converging into the one central Liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī
• Mahādeva
• Trailokya (three worlds)
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī concentrates the cosmic presence of Śiva; one authentic darśana there is treated as spiritually equivalent to worship across the three worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī), as the supreme locus of Śiva’s Liṅga-form.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (beholding) of Mahādeva in Liṅga-form, implying pilgrimage and reverent temple visitation.