Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

गायंती मधुरं गीतं नृत्यंती निजलीलया । ध्यायंती लिंगमोंकारं तत्र लिंगे लयं ययौ

Transliteration

gāyaṃtī madhuraṃ gītaṃ nṛtyaṃtī nijalīlayā | dhyāyaṃtī liṃgamoṃkāraṃ tatra liṃge layaṃ yayau

Translation

മധുരഗാനം പാടി, തന്റെ സ്വാഭാവിക ഭക്തിലീലയിൽ നൃത്തം ചെയ്ത്, ലിംഗത്തെ ഓംകാരസ്വരൂപമായി ധ്യാനിച്ചുകൊണ്ട് അവൾ അവിടെയേ അതേ ലിംഗത്തിൽ ലയിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• गायन्ती: singing
• गायन्ती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गै (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय; present participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मधुरम्: sweet
• मधुरम्: Karman (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मधुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (गीतं विशेषयति)

• गीतम्: song
• गीतम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• नृत्यन्ती: dancing
• नृत्यन्ती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नृत् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय; present participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• निज-लीलया: by her own playfulness
• निज-लीलया: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक) + लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: निजा लीला = ‘one’s own play’

• ध्यायन्ती: meditating
• ध्यायन्ती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय; present participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ओंकारम्: Oṃkāra (the syllable Oṃ)
• ओंकारम्: Karman (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओंकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; लिङ्गम् इति विशेषणभावे अपि प्रयुज्यते (appositional/object complement)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative setting/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक)

• लिङ्गे: in the liṅga
• लिङ्गे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• लयम्: absorption, dissolution
• लयम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ययौ: went, attained
• ययौ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Praṇaveśa (Oṃkāra-liṅga) in Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a lamp-lit sanctum, Mādhavī sings and dances with spontaneous grace before the liṅga; her gaze turns inward as the Oṃkāra-liṅga seems to radiate; the moment culminates in her merging into the liṅga’s light.

Characters & Entities

• Oṃkāra (Praṇava)
• Śiva-liṅga (Oṃkāra-liṅga)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti expressed through song, dance, and praṇava-meditation can culminate in liberation—absorption in Śiva—especially in Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, in the context of the Oṃkāra-associated liṅga (Praṇaveśa/Oṃkāreśvara).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhyāna on the liṅga as Oṃkāra, alongside devotional kīrtana (singing) and nṛtya (sacred dance).