Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

लिंगं मे विश्वनाथस्य दृष्ट्वा यश्चानुमोदते । स मे गणेषु गण्येत महापुण्यबलाश्रितः

Transliteration

liṃgaṃ me viśvanāthasya dṛṣṭvā yaścānumodate | sa me gaṇeṣu gaṇyeta mahāpuṇyabalāśritaḥ

Translation

Quiconque contemple mon Liṅga de Viśvanātha et s’en réjouit avec assentiment—celui-là doit être compté parmi mes gaṇas, soutenu par la puissance d’un mérite immense.

Word by Word

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; मम-आदेशः (enclitic genitive)

• विश्वनाथस्य: of Viśvanātha
• विश्वनाथस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वनाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकाले (having seen)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अनुमोदते: rejoices/approves
• अनुमोदते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu√mud (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष? न; मध्यम/उत्तम?—प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (3rd sg Ātmanepada)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; मम-आदेशः (enclitic genitive)

• गणेषु: among the attendants/gaṇas
• गणेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन

• गण्येत: should be counted
• गण्येत: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गण् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• महापुण्यबलाश्रितः: endowed with great merit and strength
• महापुण्यबलाश्रितः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महापुण्यबल + आश्रित (प्रातिपदिक; √श्रि क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (महापुण्यबलम् आश्रितः = endowed with great merit-power)

Speaker

Śiva/Viśvanātha (deduced from first-person ‘me’ and gaṇa reference)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśvanātha/Viśveśvara Liṅga

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/devarṣi within Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim beholds the Viśvanātha liṅga and visibly rejoices—hands in añjali, eyes bright with devotion—while subtle celestial gaṇas appear as a blessing motif around the sanctum.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvanātha
• Liṅga
• Śiva-gaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional recognition of Viśvanātha’s Liṅga is not merely seeing—it is heartfelt assent that elevates one toward Śiva’s own retinue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Viśvanātha Liṅga of Kāśī (Kashi Vishwanath) is directly praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-darśana (sacred viewing) accompanied by anumodana—joyful devotional approval—described as spiritually efficacious.