Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

तावद्धमंति संसारे देवा मर्त्या महोरगाः । गौरि यावन्न पश्यंति काश्यां लिंगं त्रिलोचनम्

Transliteration

tāvaddhamaṃti saṃsāre devā martyā mahoragāḥ | gauri yāvanna paśyaṃti kāśyāṃ liṃgaṃ trilocanam

Translation

ഹേ ഗൗരി, ദേവന്മാരും മർത്ത്യരും മഹോരഗങ്ങളും—കാശിയിൽ ത്രിനേത്രന്റെ ലിംഗം ദർശിക്കുവോളം സംസാരത്തിൽ അലഞ്ഞു കഷ്ടപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तावत्: so long
• तावत्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/कालवाचक-अव्यय (until/so long)

• धमन्ति: blow/struggle (lit. blow)
• धमन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ध्मा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• संसारे: in worldly existence
• संसारे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• मर्त्याः: mortals
• मर्त्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• महोरगाः: great serpents
• महोरगाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + उरग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘महान्तः उरगाः’

• गौरि: O Gaurī
• गौरि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• यावत्: until
• यावत्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: सीमावाचक-अव्यय (as long as/until)

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

• पश्यन्ति: see
• पश्यन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

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

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

• त्रिलोचनम्: three-eyed (Trilocana)
• त्रिलोचनम्: Karma (Object-complement/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः—‘त्रीणि लोचनानि यस्य’ (epithet)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Trilocana-liṅga (Kāśī)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Gaurī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Beings of three realms—devas, humans, and nāgas—approach a Kāśī shrine and behold the Trilocana liṅga; their fatigue of saṃsāra dissolves into stillness.

Characters & Entities

• Gaurī (Pārvatī)
• Śiva (Trilocana)
• Kāśī
• Devas
• Mortals
• Nāgas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation begins with Śiva-darśana; without it, beings remain bound to saṃsāra despite their status.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), specifically the presence of the Trilocana-liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The core emphasis is darśana (beholding) of the liṅga in Kāśī.