Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

एतल्लिंगं समभ्यर्च्य यो याति पथि मानवः । चौरव्याघ्रादिसंभूत भयं तस्य कुतो भवेत्

Transliteration

etalliṃgaṃ samabhyarcya yo yāti pathi mānavaḥ | cauravyāghrādisaṃbhūta bhayaṃ tasya kuto bhavet

Translation

ഈ ലിംഗത്തെ സമ്യകമായി അർച്ചിച്ച് വഴിയിൽ യാത്ര ചെയ്യുന്ന മനുഷ്യന് കള്ളൻ, കടുവ മുതലായവയിൽ നിന്നുള്ള ഭയം എങ്ങനെ ഉണ്ടാകും?

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (this)

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

• समभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• समभ्यर्च्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अभि + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having duly worshipped)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पथि: on the path
• पथि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• मानवः: a man
• मानवः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चौरव्याघ्रादिसंभूतम्: arising from thieves, tigers, etc.
• चौरव्याघ्रादिसंभूतम्: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चौर (प्रातिपदिक) + व्याघ्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + संभूत (भू धातु-क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (चौर-व्याघ्र-आदि-सम्भूतः) विशेषणम्

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कुतः: how/whence
• कुतः: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative adverb: whence/how)

• भवेत्: could be; would arise
• भवेत्: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śiva (continuing assurance)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: (Unnamed) protective liṅga of Kāśī in the narrative

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-puṅgavas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A traveler worships a roadside/shrine liṅga; lurking threats—thieves and tigers—recede, unable to approach due to Śiva’s protective aura.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Vyāghreśvara Liṅga (etalliṅga)
• thieves (caura)
• tigers (vyāghra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed through Liṅga-pūjā is said to transform worldly vulnerability into divinely guarded fearlessness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Vyāghreśvara Liṅga in Kāśī, presented as a protector for travelers.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Samabhyarcana—proper worship/archana of the Liṅga before undertaking travel.