Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

अविमुक्तेश्वरं लिंगं दृष्ट्वा क्षेत्रेऽविमुक्तके । विमुक्त एव भवति सर्वस्मात्कर्मबंधनात्

Transliteration

avimukteśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ dṛṣṭvā kṣetre'vimuktake | vimukta eva bhavati sarvasmātkarmabaṃdhanāt

Translation

അവിമുക്ത-ക്ഷേത്രത്തിൽ അവിമുക്തേശ്വര ലിംഗം ദർശിച്ചാൽ മനുഷ്യൻ സർവ്വ കർമ്മബന്ധനങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നു നിശ്ചയമായി വിമുക്തനാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अविमुक्तेश्वरम्: Avimukteśvara
• अविमुक्तेश्वरम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avimukta (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अविमुक्तस्य ईश्वरः)

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

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund)

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अविमुक्तके: in Avimuktaka (place)
• अविमुक्तके: Adhikarana (Location qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avimuktaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘क्षेत्रे’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• विमुक्तः: liberated
• विमुक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-mukta (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तृ-विशेषणम्

• एव: indeed
• एव: Niyama (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• भवति: becomes/is
• भवति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सर्वस्मात्: from all
• सर्वस्मात्: Apadana (Source/Separation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; ‘कर्मबंधनात्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• कर्मबंधनात्: from the bondage of karma
• कर्मबंधनात्: Apadana (Separation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karma (प्रातिपदिक) + bandhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कर्मणः बन्धनम्)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukteśvara in Avimukta-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands before the Avimukteśvara liṅga in Avimukta; chains labeled ‘karma’ fall away as the gaze meets the sanctum’s radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Avimukteśvara
• Avimukta-kṣetra
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-darśana in the supreme kṣetra is portrayed as a decisive release from karmic fetters.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-kṣetra in Kāśī, centered on the Avimukteśvara Liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The act indicated is darśana (beholding) of the liṅga; no additional vrata or dāna is specified.