Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

लिंगं दशाश्वमेधेशं दृष्ट्वा दशहरा तिथौ । दशजन्मार्जितैः पापैस्त्यज्यते नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

liṃgaṃ daśāśvamedheśaṃ dṛṣṭvā daśaharā tithau | daśajanmārjitaiḥ pāpaistyajyate nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

ദശഹരാ തിഥിയിൽ ദശാശ്വമേധേശ ലിംഗദർശനം ചെയ്താൽ, പത്ത് ജന്മങ്ങളിൽ സമ്പാദിച്ച പാപങ്ങൾ നീങ്ങും—ഇതിൽ സംശയമില്ല।

Word by Word

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

• दशाश्वमेधेशम्: the Lord of the ten Aśvamedhas
• दशाश्वमेधेशम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश-अश्वमेध-ईश (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: दश + अश्वमेध + ईश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अश्वमेधानां दशानां ईशः)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• दशहरा: Daśaharā (name of the lunar day)
• दशहरा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशहरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (तिथेः विशेषणरूपेण)

• तिथौ: on the lunar day
• तिथौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• दशजन्मार्जितैः: acquired over ten births
• दशजन्मार्जितैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश-जन्म-अर्जित (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: दश + जन्म + अर्जित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (पापैः)

• पापैः: by sins
• पापैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• त्यज्यते: is abandoned/gets destroyed
• त्यज्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरणार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Daśāśvamedha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at dawn on Gaṅgā by Daśāśvamedha ghāṭ; a Śiva-liṅga shrine nearby; devotees with folded hands on Daśaharā, lamps and water offerings, sense of sins dissolving into the river-light.

Characters & Entities

• Daśāśvamedheśa
• Śiva-liṅga
• Daśaharā
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-darśana in Kāśī, especially on Daśaharā, is presented as a supreme purifier that breaks long chains of karmic burden.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Daśāśvamedheśa liṅga shrine associated with Daśāśvamedha tīrtha in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana of the Daśāśvamedheśa liṅga specifically on Daśaharā tithi.