Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

पितामहेशान्नैरृत्यां पूजनीयं प्रयत्नतः । गदाधरेश्वरं लिंगं पितॄणां परितृप्तिदम्

Transliteration

pitāmaheśānnairṛtyāṃ pūjanīyaṃ prayatnataḥ | gadādhareśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ pitṝṇāṃ paritṛptidam

Translation

പിതാമഹേശ്വരന്റെ നൈഋത്യ (തെക്ക്-പടിഞ്ഞാറ്) ദിശയിൽ പരിശ്രമത്തോടെ ഗദാധരേശ്വരനെന്ന ലിംഗത്തെ പൂജിക്കണം; അത് പിതൃകൾക്ക് പൂർണ്ണപരിതൃപ്തി നൽകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• पितामहेशात्: from (the shrine of) Pitāmaheśa
• पितामहेशात्: Apadana (Source/From)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/स्थान-निर्देश), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पितामहस्य ईशः)

• नैरृत्यां: in the south-west direction
• नैरृत्यां: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैरृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• पूजनीयं: to be worshipped
• पूजनीयं: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) → पूजनीय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्तः—तव्यत्/अनीयर्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘लिङ्गम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort; diligently
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययम्; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त क्रियाविशेषणम्

• गदाधरेश्वरम्: (the) Gadādhareśvara
• गदाधरेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/Name-apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा-धर-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म/उपपद-सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गदाधरस्य ईश्वरः)

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

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितॄणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• परितृप्तिदम्: giving satisfaction (to the ancestors)
• परितृप्तिदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-तृप् (धातु) → परितृप्ति + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त-तद्धित/उपपदसमासान्त विशेषणम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘लिङ्गम्’ इति विशेषणम्; समासः उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (परितृप्तिं ददाति)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gadādhareśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A sage (muni) / interlocutor in the Kāśī-khaṇḍa dialogue frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim with folded hands worships a dark stone liṅga labeled Gadādhareśvara; to the southwest, the skyline of Kāśī with ghāṭa steps and temple spires; subtle presence of pitṛs receiving offerings in the unseen realm.

Characters & Entities

• Pitāmaheśvara
• Gadādhareśvara
• Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage in Kāśī is also a disciplined practice: precise places and intentional worship support pitṛ-duty and spiritual harmony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gadādhareśvara liṅga, situated to the southwest of Pitāmaheśvara in the Jyeṣṭheśvara region of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Careful worship (pūjā) of Gadādhareśvara for the complete satisfaction of one’s ancestors.