Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

तेषामपि हि लिंगानि तत्र संति सहस्रशः । तद्दर्शनाद्भवेत्पुंसां तत्तद्गणसलोकता

Transliteration

teṣāmapi hi liṃgāni tatra saṃti sahasraśaḥ | taddarśanādbhavetpuṃsāṃ tattadgaṇasalokatā

Translation

En vérité, les liṅgas de ces êtres s’y trouvent par milliers. Par le seul fait de les contempler, les hommes obtiennent demeure dans les mondes mêmes de chacun de ces gaṇas.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; (genitive plural)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (निपात)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (निपात)
• Form: निपात

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas (emblems)
• लिङ्गानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• सन्ति: are
• सन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• सहस्रशः: by the thousand; in thousands
• सहस्रशः: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शस्-प्रत्ययान्त (adverb: 'by thousands/in thousands')

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; (genitive singular neuter)

• दर्शनात्: from seeing (it)
• दर्शनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; (ablative: 'from/through seeing')

• भवेत्: would arise; would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पुंसाम्: of men/people
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुम्स्/पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; (genitive plural)

• तत्तद्गणसलोकता: attainment of the same world as those respective gaṇas
• तत्तद्गणसलोकता: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक) + सलोकता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (तत्तद्गणस्य सलोकता = being in the same world as each such group)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sahasra-liṅga presence of gaṇas in Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic sacred map of Kāśī with countless small liṅga shrines—on steps, in niches, under trees—each subtly attended by a distinct gaṇa; pilgrims moving in streams, offering flowers and water.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Śiva-liṅgas
• Gaṇas
• Salokatā (attaining the same realm)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana itself is a potent sādhana in Kāśī—seeing sacred liṅgas is said to elevate the pilgrim to divine proximity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as a whole is praised as containing innumerable liṅgas connected to Śiva’s gaṇas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied practice is darśana (reverent visitation/seeing) of the liṅgas; no additional vow or donation is specified.