Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

भुजंगमेखलं लिंगं काश्यां दृष्ट्वा त्रिविष्टपम् । जन्मांतरेपि मुक्तः स्यादन्यत्र मरणे सति

Transliteration

bhujaṃgamekhalaṃ liṃgaṃ kāśyāṃ dṛṣṭvā triviṣṭapam | janmāṃtarepi muktaḥ syādanyatra maraṇe sati

Translation

കാശിയിൽ ഭുജംഗമേഖലയാൽ അലങ്കൃതമായ ത്രിവിഷ്ടപ ലിംഗം ദർശിച്ചാൽ, മരണം മറ്റെവിടെയായാലും, അടുത്ത ജന്മത്തിലും മോക്ഷം ലഭിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• भुजङ्ग-मेखलम्: having a serpent as a girdle; serpent-girdled
• भुजङ्ग-मेखलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भुजङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + मेखला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter, nominative/accusative singular; adjective)

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

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine, locative singular)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having seen’

• त्रिविष्टपम्: heaven (Triviṣṭapa)
• त्रिविष्टपम्: Gati/Karma (Goal as object/गति-लक्ष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिविष्टप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, accusative singular)

• जन्म-अन्तरे: in another birth
• जन्म-अन्तरे: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, locative singular)

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), ‘also/even’

• मुक्तः: liberated
• मुक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे विशेषणवत् (masc. nom. sg.)

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Desha/Avyaya (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), ‘elsewhere/otherwise’

• मरणे: at death
• मरणे: Adhikarana (Condition locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, locative singular)

• सति: when (it) is; if (it) occurs
• सति: Saptami Absolute (Locative absolute/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: सत्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present participle), नपुंसक/पुं-स्त्री समानरूप; सप्तमी-सम्बन्धे ‘सति’ (locative absolute marker)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context, typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Triviṣṭapa-liṅga (Bhujangamekhala)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant Śiva-liṅga in Kāśī encircled like a girdle by coiled serpents; pilgrims with folded hands; the aura suggests Svarga (Triviṣṭapa) and mokṣa.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Triviṣṭapa
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana (sacred seeing) of a Kāśī-liṅga is proclaimed to bestow liberation, emphasizing Kāśī’s unique salvific power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), specifically the Triviṣṭapa/Bhujanga-mekhala Liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No detailed rite is prescribed here; the act highlighted is liṅga-darśana (beholding the Liṅga) in Kāśī.