Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

इह लिंगं सहस्राक्षं सुवर्णाख्यात्समागतम् । यस्य संदर्शनात्पुंसां ज्ञानचक्षुः प्रजायते

Transliteration

iha liṃgaṃ sahasrākṣaṃ suvarṇākhyātsamāgatam | yasya saṃdarśanātpuṃsāṃ jñānacakṣuḥ prajāyate

Translation

ഇവിടെ സുവർണാഖ്യ സ്ഥാനത്തിൽ നിന്നു വന്ന സഹസ്രാക്ഷനെന്ന ലിംഗം ഉണ്ട്. അതിന്റെ ദർശനമാത്രത്തിൽ മനുഷ്യർക്കു ജ്ഞാനചക്ഷു ഉദിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (पद्ये वस्तुनिर्देशे प्रायः प्रथमा; अत्र वर्णनात्मक)

• सहस्राक्षम्: thousand-eyed
• सहस्राक्षम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहि (सहस्रम् अक्षाणि यस्य) विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम्)

• सुवर्णाख्यात्: from (the place/person) called Suvarṇa
• सुवर्णाख्यात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवर्ण + आख्यात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सुवर्णेन आख्यातः/सुवर्ण-आख्यः)

• समागतम्: come, arrived
• समागतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: गम्-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम्)

• यस्य: of which/whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे

• संदर्शनात्: from the sight (of it)
• संदर्शनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम् + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘संदर्शन’ = दर्शन-विशेषः

• पुंसाम्: of men, of people
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुम्स् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ज्ञानचक्षुः: the eye of knowledge
• ज्ञानचक्षुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान + चक्षुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (ज्ञानरूपं चक्षुः)

• प्रजायते: is born, arises
• प्रजायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sahasrākṣa-liṅga (Sahasrākṣa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Sahasrākṣa-liṅga is depicted with a subtle motif of ‘thousand eyes’—not literal eyes carved, but a radiating pattern of many luminous points; a pilgrim’s gaze meets the liṅga and a faint third-eye/inner-light symbolism appears, indicating awakening of jñāna-cakṣuḥ.

Characters & Entities

• Sahasrākṣa-liṅga
• Suvarṇākhya
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana itself is treated as transformative—sacred seeing in Kāśī is said to awaken spiritual insight (jñāna).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Sahasrākṣa liṅga in Kāśī, said to have come from Suvarṇākhya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Saṃdarśana (pilgrimage-visitation and beholding) of the Sahasrākṣa liṅga; worship is implied but the verse highlights seeing.