Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

लिंगे संपूजिते सर्वमर्चितं स्याज्जगद्यथा । गंगास्नानेन लभते सर्वतीर्थफलं तथा

Transliteration

liṃge saṃpūjite sarvamarcitaṃ syājjagadyathā | gaṃgāsnānena labhate sarvatīrthaphalaṃ tathā

Translation

ലിംഗത്തെ സമ്യകമായി സമ്പൂജിച്ചാൽ സർവ്വജഗത്തെയും പൂജിച്ചതുപോലെ ആകുന്നു; അതുപോലെ ഗംഗാസ്നാനത്തിലൂടെ എല്ലാ തീർത്ഥഫലവും ലഭിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• लिङ्गे: in/with regard to the liṅga
• लिङ्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• सम्पूजिते: when (it is) duly worshipped
• सम्पूजिते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√पूज् (धातु)
• Form: कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• अर्चितम्: worshipped/honoured
• अर्चितम्: Karta-pradhana-visheshana (Predicate/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्चित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √अर्च्)
• Form: कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective of सर्वम्)

• स्यात्: would be/is to be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Upamana/Example (उपमान/दृष्टान्त)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यथा: as/just as
• यथा: Upamana-marker (Comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमानवाचक/समुच्चय; comparative particle)

• गङ्गा-स्नानेन: by bathing in the Ganga
• गङ्गा-स्नानेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गङ्गायाः स्नानम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (Instrumental Singular)

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present Indicative); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सर्व-तीर्थ-फलम्: the fruit of all pilgrimages
• सर्व-तीर्थ-फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सर्वेषां तीर्थानां फलम् / सर्वतीर्थेषु यत् फलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तथा: likewise/so
• तथा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/उपसंहारार्थ; adverb)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Split yet unified scene: on one side a devotee bathes in Gaṅgā with rising sun; on the other, the same devotee offers bilva and water to a radiant liṅga; behind them, faint silhouettes of many famous tīrthas appear as if contained within Gaṅgā and the liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅga
• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-liṅga worship and Gaṅgā bathing are portrayed as supreme, encompassing acts that confer vast spiritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā in Kāśī, and the Śiva-liṅga worship tradition central to Kāśī’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gaṅgā-snānā (bathing in the Gaṅgā) and proper worship of the Śiva-liṅga.