Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

नैरृत्यां चाट्टहासस्य वृद्धवासिष्ठसंज्ञकम् । लिंगं तत्पूजनात्पुंसां ज्ञानमुत्पद्यते महत्

Transliteration

nairṛtyāṃ cāṭṭahāsasya vṛddhavāsiṣṭhasaṃjñakam | liṃgaṃ tatpūjanātpuṃsāṃ jñānamutpadyate mahat

Translation

ಅಟ್ಟಹಾಸದ ನೈಋತ್ಯ (ದಕ್ಷಿಣ-ಪಶ್ಚಿಮ) ದಿಕ್ಕಿನಲ್ಲಿ ‘ವೃದ್ಧ-ವಾಸಿಷ್ಠ’ ಎಂಬ ಲಿಂಗವು ಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಠಿತವಾಗಿದೆ। ಅದರ ಪೂಜೆಯಿಂದ ಪುರುಷನಲ್ಲಿ ಮಹತ್ತರ ಆಧ್ಯಾತ್ಮಿಕ ಜ್ಞಾನ ಉದಯಿಸುತ್ತದೆ।

Word by Word

• nairṛtyām: in the southwest
• nairṛtyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nairṛtī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — locative singular; दिशावाचक-शब्दः

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• aṭṭahāsasya: of Aṭṭahāsa
• aṭṭahāsasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṭṭahāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — genitive singular

• vṛddhavāsiṣṭha-saṃjñakam: having the designation ‘Vṛddha-Vāsiṣṭha’
• vṛddhavāsiṣṭha-saṃjñakam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vṛddha + vāsiṣṭha + saṃjñaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular; विशेषणम्

• liṅgam: the liṅga
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular

• tat-pūjanāt: from worship of that (liṅga)
• tat-pūjanāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat + pūjana (प्रातिपदिक; √pūj पूज्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन — ablative singular; हेत्वर्थः (cause)

• puṃsām: of men / for people
• puṃsām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pumān (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — genitive plural

• jñānam: knowledge
• jñānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular

• utpadyate: arises
• utpadyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pad (पद्) + ut (उत्)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; ‘arises/comes forth’

• mahat: great
• mahat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular; विशेषणम् (jñānam)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vṛddha-Vāsiṣṭha-liṅga (southwest of Aṭṭahāsa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet southwest shrine near Aṭṭahāsa; the liṅga bears a simple garland; a sage-like atmosphere—palm-leaf manuscripts, seated devotee in contemplation—suggests jñāna arising from worship.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Aṭṭahāsa-liṅga
• Vṛddha-Vāsiṣṭha-liṅga
• Jñāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, devotion is not only for worldly welfare but also for jñāna—worship is presented as a direct cause of awakening.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vṛddha-Vāsiṣṭha-liṅga, placed in the southwest direction relative to Aṭṭahāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā (worship) of Vṛddha-Vāsiṣṭha-liṅga is prescribed implicitly for the attainment of great knowledge.