Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

शर्वं लिंगं समभ्यर्च्य काश्यां परमसिद्धिकृत् । न जातु जंतुपदवीं प्राप्नुयात्क्वापि मानवः

Transliteration

śarvaṃ liṃgaṃ samabhyarcya kāśyāṃ paramasiddhikṛt | na jātu jaṃtupadavīṃ prāpnuyātkvāpi mānavaḥ

Translation

ಕಾಶಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಶರ್ವಲಿಂಗವನ್ನು ಸಮ್ಯಕ್ ಅರ್ಚಿಸಿದರೆ ಪರಮಸಿದ್ಧಿ ಲಭಿಸುತ್ತದೆ; ಮನುಷ್ಯನು ಎಲ್ಲಿ ಕೂಡ ಮತ್ತೆ ಜಂತುಪದವಿಯನ್ನು ಎಂದಿಗೂ ಪಡೆಯುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.

Word by Word

• शर्वम्: Śarva (Śiva)
• शर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

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

• समभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• समभ्यर्च्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-अभि-अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘सम्यगभ्यर्च्य/having worshipped’

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• परमसिद्धिकृत्: producer of supreme attainment
• परमसिद्धिकृत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम + सिद्धि + कृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—परमा सिद्धिः यस्य/यः करोति इति उपपद-तत्पुरुषः; (कर्ता-विशेषणम्)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• जातु: ever
• जातु: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जातु (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ever/at any time)

• जन्तुपदवीम्: the path/state of being a creature (rebirth)
• जन्तुपदवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु + पदवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—जन्तूनां पदवी इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• प्राप्नुयात्: should attain
• प्राप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• क्वापि: anywhere
• क्वापि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (indefinite locative adverb: anywhere)

• मानवः: a human
• मानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śarva-liṅga (in Kāśī)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene worship scene at the Śarva-liṅga in Kāśī; the devotee’s posture is calm and surrendered, with symbolic dissolution of saṃsāra—chains loosening, a wheel fading—signifying ‘never again becoming a jantu’.

Characters & Entities

• Śarva
• Śarva-liṅga
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-worship in Kāśī is presented as a direct means to supreme attainment and release from the cycle of embodied existence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Śarva-liṅga in Kāśī (linked to the Madhyamakeśvara/Caturvedeśvara complex in the surrounding verses).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Samabhyarcana—proper, complete worship of the liṅga (liṅga-pūjā) in Kāśī.