Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

न तुष्यति तथा शंभुर्यज्ञदानतपोव्रतैः । यथा तुष्येत्सकृल्लिंगे विधिनाभ्यर्चिते सति

Transliteration

na tuṣyati tathā śaṃbhuryajñadānatapovrataiḥ | yathā tuṣyetsakṛlliṃge vidhinābhyarcite sati

Translation

Śambhu n’est pas autant satisfait par les sacrifices (yajña), les dons (dāna), les austérités (tapas) et les vœux (vrata), qu’il l’est par une seule adoration du Liṅga accomplie selon le rite.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• तुष्यति: is pleased
• तुष्यति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• तथा: so/in that way
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner adverb/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb)

• शंभुः: Śambhu (Śiva)
• शंभुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• यज्ञ-दान-तपः-व्रतैः: by sacrifices, gifts, austerities, and vows
• यज्ञ-दान-तपः-व्रतैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक) + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (yajña, dāna, tapas, vrata)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-सम्बन्धबोधक (as/just as)

• तुष्येत्: would be pleased
• तुष्येत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Sambandha (Frequency adverb/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/आवृत्तिवाचक (once)

• लिङ्गे: in the liṅga
• लिङ्गे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• विधिना: by proper rite
• विधिना: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• अभ्यर्चिते: when (it is) worshipped
• अभ्यर्चिते: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; धातु: अर्च्; उपसर्ग: अभि; सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध (with liṅge)

• सति: when/while (it) is
• सति: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; धातु: अस्; सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध (locative absolute marker: 'when/while being')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī liṅga-darśana/arcana (general)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Contrast tableau: on one side grand yajña fires, gifts, austerities; on the other a simple devotee offering water and bilva to a liṅga—Śiva’s favor visibly inclines to the latter.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu
• Liṅga
• Yajña
• Dāna
• Tapa
• Vrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual correctness joined with devotion in liṅga-pūjā is portrayed as the most direct way to please Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī context frames the teaching, where Śiva’s presence makes liṅga-worship exceptionally efficacious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform liṅga worship ‘vidhinā’—according to prescribed procedure—even once.