Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा त्रिविष्टपं लिंगं कोटितीर्थफलं लभेत् । यदन्यत्रार्जितं पापं तत्काशी दर्शनाद्व्रजेत्

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā triviṣṭapaṃ liṃgaṃ koṭitīrthaphalaṃ labhet | yadanyatrārjitaṃ pāpaṃ tatkāśī darśanādvrajet

Translation

ത്രിവിഷ്ടപ-ലിംഗ ദർശനം കൊണ്ട് കോടി തീർത്ഥഫലം ലഭിക്കുന്നു. മറ്റിടങ്ങളിൽ സമ്പാദിച്ച പാപം കാശീ ദർശനമാത്രത്താൽ തന്നെ നശിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): having seen

• triviṣṭapam: heavenly (Triviṣṭapa-)
• triviṣṭapam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri + viṣṭapa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; liṅgam इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• liṅgam: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• koṭi-tīrtha-phalam: the fruit of ten million tīrthas
• koṭi-tīrtha-phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: koṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी/संबन्ध): कोटीनां तीर्थाणां फलम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• labhet: would obtain
• labhet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• yat: whatever (sin)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• anyatra: elsewhere
• anyatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (elsewhere)

• ārjitam: acquired/committed
• ārjitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: arj (धातु) → ārjita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; pāpam इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• pāpam: sin
• pāpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• tat: that (sin)
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; pāpam इत्यस्य पुनर्निर्देशः

• kāśī: Kāśī
• kāśī: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; (अत्र ‘काशी-दर्शनात्’ इत्यर्थे)

• darśanāt: from (the) sight/visiting
• darśanāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थक (ablative of cause)

• vrajet: would depart/be removed
• vrajet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vraj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Triviṣṭapa-liṅga (in Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a small Kāśī shrine, the Triviṣṭapa-liṅga stands on a yoni-pīṭha; as the devotee beholds it, countless tīrthas appear as miniature rivers, ghats, and mountains circling like a cosmic garland; dark stains of sin peel away into ash and vanish in the lamp’s flame.

Characters & Entities

• Triviṣṭapa-liṅga
• Kāśī
• tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-darśana in Kāśī is framed as extraordinarily transformative, conferring vast merit and removing accumulated sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Triviṣṭapa-liṅga in Kāśī, along with Kāśī itself as a sin-destroying sacred field.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (devotional viewing/visitation) of Triviṣṭapa-liṅga and Kāśī is emphasized rather than a detailed rite.