Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

पाशपाणिगणाध्यक्ष समीपे यः प्रपश्यति । चंडीश्वरं महालिंगं स याति परमां गतिम्

Transliteration

pāśapāṇigaṇādhyakṣa samīpe yaḥ prapaśyati | caṃḍīśvaraṃ mahāliṃgaṃ sa yāti paramāṃ gatim

Translation

പാശം കൈവശമുള്ള ഗണാധ്യക്ഷന്റെ സമീപത്ത് സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്ന ചണ്ഡീശ്വര മഹാലിംഗം ഭക്തിയോടെ ദർശിക്കുന്നവൻ പരമഗതി, അഥവാ മോക്ഷം, പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• पाशपाणिगणाध्यक्ष: O chief of the troop of Pāśapāṇi (Śiva’s attendants)
• पाशपाणिगणाध्यक्ष: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाश-पाणि-गण-अध्यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; पाश + पाणि + गण + अध्यक्ष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः) — ‘पाशपाणिनां गणस्य अध्यक्षः’

• समीपे: near
• समीपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे ‘near’

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• प्रपश्यति: sees, beholds
• प्रपश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• चण्डीश्वरम्: Caṇḍīśvara (name of the liṅga/deity)
• चण्डीश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डीश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• महालिङ्गम्: the great liṅga
• महालिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक; महा + लिङ्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः — ‘महच्च तत् लिङ्गम्’

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• याति: goes, attains
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• परमाम्: supreme
• परमाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (गतेः)

• गतिम्: state, destination, liberation
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Caṇḍīśvara Mahāliṅga (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Kāśī beholds the towering Caṇḍīśvara liṅga; nearby stands a gaṇa-chief holding a noose (pāśa), marking the shrine’s threshold; lamps, bilva leaves, and Ganga-breeze implied.

Characters & Entities

• Caṇḍīśvara
• Śiva-gaṇas
• Kāśī (implied context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana of a sacred Kāśī-liṅga, performed with faith, is praised as a direct cause of the supreme spiritual goal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Caṇḍīśvara Mahāliṅga in Kāśī, described by its proximity to a gaṇa-chief bearing a noose.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite is specified—this verse emphasizes the merit of simply beholding (darśana) the Liṅga.