Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

जैगीषव्येश्वरं नाम लिंगं काश्यां सुदुर्लभम् । त्रीणि वर्षाणि संसेव्य लभेद्योगं न संशयः

Transliteration

jaigīṣavyeśvaraṃ nāma liṃgaṃ kāśyāṃ sudurlabham | trīṇi varṣāṇi saṃsevya labhedyogaṃ na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

കാശിയിൽ ‘ജൈഗീഷവ്യേശ്വര’ എന്ന അത്യന്തം ദുർലഭമായ ലിംഗം ഉണ്ട്. മൂന്നു വർഷം ഭക്തിയോടെ സേവിച്ചാൽ സംശയമില്ലാതെ യോഗലാഭം ലഭിക്കും.

Word by Word

• जैगीषव्येश्वरम्: (the) Lord Jaigīṣavya
• जैगीषव्येश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जैगीषव्य-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जैगीषव्यस्य ईश्वरः)

• नाम: by name / called
• नाम: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; निपातः (quotative/‘called’ marker)

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

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• सुदुर्लभम्: very rare / extremely hard to obtain
• सुदुर्लभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम्)

• त्रीणि: three
• त्रीणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषणम् (वर्षाणि)

• वर्षाणि: years
• वर्षाणि: Kāla-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कालपरिमाण (duration)

• संसेव्य: having served / after worshipping
• संसेव्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु) + सम् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) ‘having served’; अव्ययभावः

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• योगम्: yoga / union / spiritual attainment
• योगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not / no
• न: Kriyā-pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jaigīṣavyeśvara (within Jyeṣṭheśvara-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A pilgrim-inquirer (traditionally Agastya/other ṛṣi in Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet Kāśī shrine with the Jaigīṣavyeśvara liṅga adorned with bilva leaves and water-offerings; a yogin-devotee seated nearby counting japa, marking the passage of years by lamps and seasonal garlands.

Characters & Entities

• Jaigīṣavyeśvara
• Kāśī
• Śiva (Liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady, long-term devotion to a Kāśī shrine is presented as a direct means to yogic attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Jaigīṣavyeśvara Liṅga in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Continuous ‘saṃsevanā’—regular worship/service at the Liṅga for three years.