Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

गभस्तीश्वर इत्याख्यां ततो लिंगमवाप्स्यति । अर्चयित्वा गभस्तीशं स्नात्वा पंचनदे नरः

Transliteration

gabhastīśvara ityākhyāṃ tato liṃgamavāpsyati | arcayitvā gabhastīśaṃ snātvā paṃcanade naraḥ

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം ആ ലിംഗം ‘ഗഭസ്തീശ്വരൻ’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധമാകും. ഗഭസ്തീശ്വരനെ ആരാധിച്ച് പഞ്ചനദിയിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത ഭക്തൻ വാഗ്ദത്ത പുണ്യഫലം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• गभस्तीश्वरः: Lord of rays (name: Gabhastīśvara)
• गभस्तीश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गभस्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गभस्तीनाम् ईश्वरः)

• इति: thus/so-called
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: इति-शब्दः; उद्धरण/समाप्ति-सूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• आख्याम्: name/appellation
• आख्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana/Temporal (Time reference/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: thereafter/from that)

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

• अवाप्स्यति: will obtain/attain
• अवाप्स्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव्+आप् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अर्चयित्वा: having worshipped
• अर्चयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकाले कृतक्रिया (having worshipped)

• गभस्तीशम्: Gabhastīśa (the Lord)
• गभस्तीशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गभस्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकाले कृतक्रिया (having bathed)

• पञ्चनदे: at Pañcanada (place of five rivers)
• पञ्चनदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (प्रातिपदिक) + नद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (पञ्च नद्यः यस्मिन्/यत्र)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañcanada (associated with Gabhastīśvara)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers flowers, bilva leaves, and water to a radiant Śiva-liṅga labeled Gabhastīśvara; nearby, pilgrims descend steps to the Pañcanada bathing place, with dawn light glinting on the river.

Characters & Entities

• Gabhastīśvara
• Śiva-liṅga
• Pañcanada
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-worship joined with tīrtha-snānā in Kāśī sanctifies the devotee and establishes the lasting renown (māhātmya) of the sacred liṅga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pañcanada, a revered bathing-place in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), connected here with the Gabhastīśvara liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship (arcana) of Gabhastīśvara and bathing (snāna) at the Pañcanada tīrtha.