Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

प्राग्जन्मवासनायोगादोंकारं बह्वमंस्त वै । स्वभाव चंचलं चेतस्तस्यास्तल्लिंग सेवनात्

Transliteration

prāgjanmavāsanāyogādoṃkāraṃ bahvamaṃsta vai | svabhāva caṃcalaṃ cetastasyāstalliṃga sevanāt

Translation

Par la force des empreintes des naissances antérieures, elle contemplait intensément l’Oṃkāra. Bien que l’esprit soit par nature instable, chez elle il se fixa par le service rendu à ce liṅga.

Word by Word

• prāk-janma-vāsanā-yogāt: from the connection with impressions from a former birth
• prāk-janma-vāsanā-yogāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāk + janma + vāsanā + yoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी एकवचनम् (masc. ablative singular) — हेत्वर्थः (cause)

• oṃkāram: Oṃkāra
• oṃkāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: oṃkāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनम् (masc. accusative singular)

• bahu: much; repeatedly
• bahu: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverbial use: much/often)

• amaṃsta: she thought/pondered
• amaṃsta: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √man (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (aorist); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनम् (3rd person singular)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निश्चयार्थक (particle: indeed)

• svabhāvāt: by nature; from natural disposition
• svabhāvāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svabhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी एकवचनम् (masc. ablative singular) — हेत्वर्थः

• caṃcalam: restless
• caṃcalam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caṃcala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनम् (neut. nominative singular) — cetaḥ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• cetaḥ: mind
• cetaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cetas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनम् (neut. nominative singular)

• tasyāḥ: of her
• tasyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचनम् (fem. genitive singular)

• tat-liṅga: of that sign/mark (i.e., Oṃkāra-symbol)
• tat-liṅga: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम) + liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचनम् (neut. genitive singular) — sevanāt इत्यस्य उपपद-सम्बन्धः (‘of that sign/mark’)

• sevanāt: from serving/practising
• sevanāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sevana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी एकवचनम् (neut. ablative singular) — हेत्वर्थः

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mādhavī sits before a liṅga, eyes half-closed, Oṃ visualized as light; her hands perform simple service—washing the liṅga—symbolizing how action steadies thought.

Characters & Entities

• Oṃkāra
• Liṅga (Oṃkāra-liṅga implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Past-life tendencies can ripen into devotion, and steady service to Śiva’s liṅga disciplines an otherwise restless mind.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred arena; the verse highlights Oṃkāra-liṅga devotion within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-sevā (service/attendance and worship of the liṅga) and contemplative focus on Oṃkāra.