Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

स्वर्लोकाद्यत्र संलीनः स्वयं देव उमापतिः । अतः स्वर्लीनतीर्थं च स्वर्लीनेश्वर सन्निधौ

Transliteration

svarlokādyatra saṃlīnaḥ svayaṃ deva umāpatiḥ | ataḥ svarlīnatīrthaṃ ca svarlīneśvara sannidhau

Translation

ಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ವರ್ಗಲೋಕದಿಂದಲೇ ಸ್ವಯಂ ದೇವ ಉಮಾಪತಿ (ಶಿವ) ಲೀನನಾದನೆಂದು ಹೇಳಲಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಸ್ವರ್ಲೀನೇಶ್ವರನ ಸನ್ನಿಧಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅದು ‘ಸ್ವರ್ಲೀನ ತೀರ್ಥ’ವೆಂದು ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧವಾಗಿದೆ.

Word by Word

• स्वर्लोकात्: from Svarga-loka
• स्वर्लोकात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर् (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (ablative singular)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, सम्बन्धबोधक स्थानवाचक (relative locative adverb: where)

• संलीनः: merged; dissolved
• संलीनः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+ली (धातु) → संलीन (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (past participle; masc nom sg)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, आत्मनिपात (emphatic: oneself)

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• उमापतिः: Umāpati (Śiva)
• उमापतिः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थक (therefore/from this)

• स्वर्लीनतीर्थम्: the Svarlīna tīrtha
• स्वर्लीनतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर् (प्रातिपदिक) + लीन (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

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

• स्वर्लीनेश्वर: Svarlīneśvara (name of Śiva)
• स्वर्लीनेश्वर: Sambandha (Reference/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर् (प्रातिपदिक) + लीन (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासान्त प्रातिपदिक; अत्र देवालयनाम (proper noun stem)

• सन्निधौ: in the vicinity
• सन्निधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Svarlīna Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous Śiva-liṅga ‘Svarlīneśvara’ beside a tīrtha; above, faint celestial imagery (svarga) dissolves into a radiant Śiva aura, suggesting ‘svar-līna’ absorption.

Characters & Entities

• Umāpati (Śiva)
• Svarlīna Tīrtha
• Svarlīneśvara
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is depicted as a realm where even ‘heavenly’ attainments culminate in Śiva—true fulfillment is absorption in the Divine, not merely celestial reward.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Svarlīna Tīrtha, associated with the nearby Śiva-form known as Svarlīneśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; the verse primarily establishes the tīrtha’s name and sanctity through Śiva’s association.