Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तत्रोपजंघने लिंगं कर्मबंधविमोक्षणम् । नृभिः संसेवितं भक्त्या षण्मासात्सिद्धिदं परम्

Transliteration

tatropajaṃghane liṃgaṃ karmabaṃdhavimokṣaṇam | nṛbhiḥ saṃsevitaṃ bhaktyā ṣaṇmāsātsiddhidaṃ param

Translation

അവിടെ ഉപജംഘനത്തിൽ കർമബന്ധനത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വിമോചനം നൽകുന്ന ലിംഗമുണ്ട്. ഭക്തിയോടെ സേവിച്ചാൽ അത് ആറുമാസത്തിനകം പരമസിദ്ധി നൽകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• उपजङ्घने: at Upajaṅghana (place-name)
• उपजङ्घने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपजङ्घन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga (Śiva emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• कर्मबन्धविमोक्षणम्: (that is) the release from the bondage of karma
• कर्मबन्धविमोक्षणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्म + बन्ध + विमोक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'कर्मबन्धस्य विमोक्षणम्'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• नृभिः: by men, by people
• नृभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• संसेवितम्: served, resorted to
• संसेवितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-सेव् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'सेवित' = frequented/served

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• षण्मासात्: after six months, from six months
• षण्मासात्: Apadana (Source/अपाादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण् + मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास ('षण्मास' = six months); पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• सिद्धिदम्: bestowing success
• सिद्धिदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिद्धि + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपपद: 'सिद्धिं ददाति' इति); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Upajaṃghana-liṅga (Karma-bandha-vimocana)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya is directly addressed in nearby verse-context (Kalaśodbhava appears in 15.10), suggesting him as listener here as well.

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Upajaṃghana, a serene liṅga shrine; a devotee performs daily abhiṣeka for six months; subtle chains (karma-bonds) depicted dissolving into light around the liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Upajaṃghana
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady bhakti expressed as liṅga-sevā can rapidly loosen karmic bondage and lead to spiritual accomplishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Upajaṃghana in the Kāśī-kṣetra, praised for its karma-releasing Śiva-liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhaktyā saṃsevanā—devotional service/worship of the liṅga, with a stated six-month period for fruition.