Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

महाकालस्य तल्लिंगं यैर्दृष्टं कष्टिभिः क्वचित । न स्पृष्टास्ते महापापैर्न दृष्टास्ते यमोद्भटैः

Transliteration

mahākālasya talliṃgaṃ yairdṛṣṭaṃ kaṣṭibhiḥ kvacita | na spṛṣṭāste mahāpāpairna dṛṣṭāste yamodbhaṭaiḥ

Translation

ആരെങ്കിലും ഒരിക്കൽ മഹാകഷ്ടത്തോടെ മഹാകാലന്റെ ആ ലിംഗം ദർശിച്ചാൽ, അവരെ മഹാപാപങ്ങൾ സ്പർശിക്കുകയില്ല; യമന്റെ ഭീകര ദൂതന്മാരും അവരെ കാണുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• महाकालस्य: of Mahākāla
• महाकालस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (demonstrative)

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

• यैः: by whom
• यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• दृष्टम्: seen
• दृष्टम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (लिङ्गम् इति कर्मणि)

• कष्टिभिः: by ascetics/rigorous practitioners
• कष्टिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; (कष्टि = तपस्विनी/कठोरव्रता इत्यर्थे)

• क्वचित्: sometimes/somewhere
• क्वचित्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/देशवाचक (adverb: at some time/somewhere)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• स्पृष्टाः: touched/affected
• स्पृष्टाः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• महापापैः: by great sins
• महापापैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (महत् पापम्)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• दृष्टाः: seen (caught sight of)
• दृष्टाः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• यमोद्भटैः: by Yama's fierce attendants
• यमोद्भटैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम-उद्भट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (यमस्य उद्भटाः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī-khaṇḍa discourse, often Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla-liṅga (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim, weary from travel, finally beholds Mahākāla’s liṅga; shadowy Yama-dūtas recoil and fade at the threshold; a protective aura surrounds the devotee.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla
• Liṅga
• Yama
• Yamodbhaṭa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere darśana of Mahākāla is portrayed as a decisive turning point that burns heavy sin and removes fear of Yama.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mahākāla Liṅga in the Mahākāla kṣetra (Avantī/Ujjayinī context).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the act emphasized is liṅga-darśana attained with effort and devotion.