Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

धर्मेण यत्र वै तप्तं युगानामयुतं शतम् । साक्षीकृत्य महालिंगं श्रीमद्धर्मेश्वराभिधम्

Transliteration

dharmeṇa yatra vai taptaṃ yugānāmayutaṃ śatam | sākṣīkṛtya mahāliṃgaṃ śrīmaddharmeśvarābhidham

Translation

എവിടെ ധർമ്മൻ, ശ്രീമദ്ധർമ്മേശ്വരൻ എന്ന മഹാലിംഗത്തെ സാക്ഷിയാക്കി, അപാരകാലം—ലക്ഷയുഗങ്ങൾ വരെ—തപസ്സു ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• धर्मेण: by/through dharma (righteousness)
• धर्मेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्ध/देशवाचक (where)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha-nipata (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• तप्तम्: performed (as austerity)
• तप्तम्: Kriya (Participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘performed/undertaken (austerity)’

• युगानाम्: of yugas
• युगानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• अयुतम्: ten thousand
• अयुतम्: Visheshana (Numerical qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक (ten-thousand)

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Visheshana (Numerical qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक (hundred)

• साक्षीकृत्य: having witnessed / having made witness
• साक्षीकृत्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: साक्षी + कृ (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund), ‘having made (it) a witness / having witnessed’

• महालिङ्गम्: the great liṅga
• महालिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—महत् + लिङ्गम्

• श्रीमद्: splendid, venerable
• श्रीमद्: Visheshana (Adjective of dharmeśvarābhidham)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रीमद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘श्री’युक्त (possessed of splendor)

• धर्मेश्वराभिधम्: named ‘Dharmeśvara’
• धर्मेश्वराभिधम्: Visheshana (Name-qualifier of mahāliṅgam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म + ईश्वर + अभिध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—धर्मस्य ईश्वरः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + अभिध (‘named/called’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa context, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmeśvara Mahāliṅga (Kāśī)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Personified Dharma performs severe austerity near a towering, radiant Mahāliṅga labeled Dharmeśvara; the liṅga emits a calm light as ‘witness,’ while time is suggested through layered yuga imagery (changing skies/ages).

Characters & Entities

• Dharma (personified)
• Mahāliṅga
• Dharmeśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld and empowered by Śiva; the Liṅga as ‘Dharmeśvara’ stands as the divine witness to righteousness and austerity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mahāliṅga called Śrīmad-Dharmeśvara (a Śiva shrine/linga-site within the Kāśī sacred network).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse highlights tapas (austerity) grounded in Dharma, undertaken with the Liṅga as sākṣin (witness), implying dhārmic discipline and Śiva-oriented devotion.