Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

गोकर्णेशं महालिंगमंतर्गेहस्य पश्चिमे । द्वारे समर्च्य वै काश्यां न विघ्नैरभिभूयते

Transliteration

gokarṇeśaṃ mahāliṃgamaṃtargehasya paścime | dvāre samarcya vai kāśyāṃ na vighnairabhibhūyate

Translation

À Kāśī, à la porte occidentale de l’enceinte intérieure, se trouve le grand liṅga Gokarṇeśa. En l’adorant comme il se doit, on n’est pas accablé par les obstacles.

Word by Word

• गोकर्णेशम्: Gokarṇeśa (Lord Gokarṇa)
• गोकर्णेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोकर्णेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—गो + कर्ण + ईश (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• महालिङ्गम्: the great liṅga
• महालिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—महा(विशेषण) + लिङ्ग (कर्मधारय)

• अन्तर्गेहस्य: of the inner house
• अन्तर्गेहस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर् + गेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; समासः—अन्तर् + गेह (तत्पुरुष)

• पश्चिमे: in the western (side)
• पश्चिमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; दिशावाचक-विशेषण (locative)

• द्वारे: at the door/gate
• द्वारे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• समर्च्य: having duly worshipped
• समर्च्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया; धातुः—अर्च् (पूजायाम्) उपसर्गः—सम्

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

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

• विघ्नैः: by obstacles
• विघ्नैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• अभिभूयते: is overcome/defeated
• अभिभूयते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; धातुः—भू (सत्तायाम्) उपसर्गः—अभि; प्रयोगः—कर्मणि/भावे (passive sense: 'is overcome')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gokarṇeśa (Mahāliṅga) in Kāśī

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at dusk stands at the western doorway of an inner temple precinct in Kāśī, offering flowers and lamp to a prominent liṅga labeled Gokarṇeśa; the corridor glows with oil-lamps, with Gaṅgā’s presence implied by distant bells and conch.

Characters & Entities

• Gokarṇeśa
• Kāśī
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular worship at Kāśī’s sacred liṅgas is taught as protection from vighnas (impediments) on the spiritual and worldly path.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gokarṇeśa mahāliṅga in Kāśī, described as near the western doorway of an inner precinct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Samarcana—proper worship of Gokarṇeśa for vighna-nivṛtti (removal of obstacles).