Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

लिंगं दृष्ट्वा प्रयत्नेन वैष्णवं पदमृच्छति । गोप्रेक्षात्पूर्वदिग्भागे लिंगं वै विज्वरं स्मृतम्

Transliteration

liṃgaṃ dṛṣṭvā prayatnena vaiṣṇavaṃ padamṛcchati | goprekṣātpūrvadigbhāge liṃgaṃ vai vijvaraṃ smṛtam

Translation

ಆ ಲಿಂಗವನ್ನು ಭಕ್ತಿಯಿಂದ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನಪೂರ್ವಕವಾಗಿ ದರ್ಶಿಸಿದವನು ವೈಷ್ಣವ ಪದವನ್ನು (ವಿಷ್ಣುಧಾಮವನ್ನು) ಪಡೆಯುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಗೋಪ್ರೇಕ್ಷೆಯಿಂದ ಪೂರ್ವದಿಕ್ಕಿನಲ್ಲಿ ‘ವಿಜ್ವರ’ ಎಂಬ ಲಿಂಗ ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧವಾಗಿದೆ.

Word by Word

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

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• वैष्णवम्: Vaiṣṇava
• वैष्णवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘पदम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• पदम्: state, abode
• पदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• ऋच्छति: attains
• ऋच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ऋ (धातु; गत्यर्थ)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• गो-प्रेक्षात्: from (the shrine called) Goprekṣā
• गो-प्रेक्षात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रेक्षा (प्रातिपदिक; √ईक्ष् (धातु) + अ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• पूर्व-दिग्-भागे: in the eastern quarter/section
• पूर्व-दिग्-भागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + दिक् (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

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

• विज्वरम्: fever-dispelling, free from fever
• विज्वरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विज्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘लिङ्गम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• स्मृतम्: is said/remembered (as)
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vijvara-liṅga (east of Goprekṣa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands before the Vijvara-liṅga, hands in añjali, eyes fixed with concentration; a subtle vision of Vaikuṇṭha (Vaiṣṇava pada) appears as a luminous horizon beyond the shrine, indicating the promised attainment.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga (general)
• Vaiṣṇava-pada
• Goprekṣa
• Vijvara-liṅga
• Viṣṇu (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī integrates sectarian goals: sincere darśana of Śiva’s liṅga can culminate in the highest divine attainment, even described in Vaiṣṇava terms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Vijvara liṅga, located east of Goprekṣa, alongside the broader praise of liṅga-darśana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana ‘with effort’ (prayatna) is emphasized; no additional rite is detailed.