Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

एकदा तस्य लिंगस्य कृत्वा पंचापिपूजनम् । नृत्यतः सहुडुत्कारं तस्मिंल्लिंगे लयं ययुः

Transliteration

ekadā tasya liṃgasya kṛtvā paṃcāpipūjanam | nṛtyataḥ sahuḍutkāraṃ tasmiṃlliṃge layaṃ yayuḥ

Translation

ഒരു പ്രാവശ്യം ആ ലിംഗത്തിന് പഞ്ചവിധ പൂജ നടത്തി, ‘ഹുഡു!’ എന്ന് ഉച്ചരിച്ച് നൃത്തം ചെയ്തുകൊണ്ട് അവർ ആ ലിംഗത്തിൽ തന്നേ ലയിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• एकदा: once
• एकदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (pronoun)

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययभाव-क्त्वान्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having done’

• पञ्चापि: five (also/indeed)
• पञ्चापि: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-युक्त संख्या-प्रयोगः; ‘even five/also five’ (here: ‘fivefold’)

• पूजनम्: worship
• पूजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नृत्यतः: while (they were) dancing
• नृत्यतः: Sambandha (Genitive absolute-like/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नृत् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present participle, शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘while dancing/of one dancing’

• सह: with
• सह: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहकारक-अव्यय (with)

• उडुत्कारम्: a loud exclamation/uproar
• उडुत्कारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उडु + उत्कार (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (uḍu- ‘drum/cry?’ + utkāra ‘loud shout/uproar’); here: ‘with loud exclamation’

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लिङ्गे: in the liṅga
• लिङ्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लयम्: dissolution, absorption
• लयम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ययुः: went, attained
• ययुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Oṃkāra-liṅga (Varaṇā-taṭa, Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Damana

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After fivefold worship, four siddhas dance in a circle around the liṅga, arms raised, mouths uttering ‘huḍu’; a luminous vortex draws them into the liṅga, symbolizing merger.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Oṃkāra-liṅga
• Pāśupata devotees

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Intense, devoted worship culminates in laya—complete absorption in Śiva—showing the highest fruit of Kāśī’s liṅga-upāsanā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Oṃkāra-liṅga in Kāśī, presented as a locus of transformative worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Fivefold worship (pañca-pūjanam) of the liṅga; the verse also notes devotional dancing and sacred acclamation.