Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 130

Devanagari script

हेमकूटाद्विरूपाक्षं लिंगमत्राविरास ह । महेश्वरादवाच्यां च दृष्टं संसारतारकम्

Transliteration

hemakūṭādvirūpākṣaṃ liṃgamatrāvirāsa ha | maheśvarādavācyāṃ ca dṛṣṭaṃ saṃsāratārakam

Translation

ഹേമകൂടത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വിരൂപാക്ഷ ലിംഗം ഇവിടെ അവതരിച്ചു. മഹേശ്വരന്റെ തെക്കുഭാഗത്ത് അത് സംസാരസാഗരം കടത്തുന്ന താരകമായി ദർശനം നൽകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• हेमकूटात्: from Hemakūṭa (mountain)
• हेमकूटात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेमकूट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; समासः—हेम + कूट (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः)

• विरूपाक्षम्: Virūpākṣa (epithet of Śiva)
• विरूपाक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरूपाक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—विरूपे अक्षिणी यस्य (having unusual eyes)

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

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• अविरासत: shone forth / appeared
• अविरासत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि√राज् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः—अव (अव + विरासत = अविरासत)

• ह: indeed
• ह: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• महेश्वरात्: from Maheśvara
• महेश्वरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—महान् ईश्वरः

• अवाच्याम्: unspeakable (one)
• अवाच्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवाच्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; नञ्-समास/उपपद-प्रत्ययार्थः—अवाच्य = unspeakable

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• दृष्टम्: seen
• दृष्टम्: Kriya (Result state/क्रियाफल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘seen’

• संसारतारकम्: the deliverer from worldly existence
• संसारतारकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संसार + तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—संसारस्य तारकः (deliverer from saṃsāra)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Virūpākṣa Liṅga (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant Virūpākṣa Liṅga newly manifested, with a golden Hemakūṭa-like aura behind it; pilgrims and sages behold it as a 'tāraka' beacon, with the Ganga’s shimmer nearby and the southern quarter indicated as Maheśvara’s direction.

Characters & Entities

• Virūpākṣa (Śiva)
• Hemakūṭa
• Maheśvara (Śiva/shrine reference)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s liṅgas are praised not only for worldly boons but as direct instruments of liberation—helping devotees cross saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Virūpākṣa Liṅga in Kāśī, located with directional reference (south of a Maheśvara point).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse emphasizes darśana and the liṅga’s mokṣa-granting power.