Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

अश्वत्थामेश्वरं लिंगं तदग्रे चातिपुण्यदम् । यदर्चनवशाद्द्रौणिर्न बिभेत्यपि कालतः

Transliteration

aśvatthāmeśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ tadagre cātipuṇyadam | yadarcanavaśāddrauṇirna bibhetyapi kālataḥ

Translation

അതിന്റെ മുൻവശത്ത് ‘അശ്വത്താമേശ്വര’ എന്നു വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്ന അതിപുണ്യദായകമായ ലിംഗം ഉണ്ട്. അതിന്റെ അർച്ചനാപ്രഭാവത്താൽ ദ്രോണപുത്രൻ (അശ്വത്താമൻ) കാലത്തെയും (മരണത്തെയും) ഭയപ്പെടുന്നില്ല.

Word by Word

• अश्वत्थाम: Aśvatthāman
• अश्वत्थाम: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वत्थामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (name-stem)

• ईश्वरम्: Lord (as in Aśvatthāmeśvara)
• ईश्वरम्: Karma (Apposition to liṅga/कर्म-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; लिङ्गस्य नाम (appositional)

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

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• अग्रे: in front
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अति: very/exceedingly
• अति: Kriya-visheshana (Intensifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अति (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (intensifier)

• पुण्यदम्: bestowing merit
• पुण्यदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य + द (प्रातिपदिक; ददाति इति)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (लिङ्गस्य)

• यत्: whose
• यत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• अर्चन: worship
• अर्चन: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक; √अर्च्-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद

• वशात्: due to the power/influence
• वशात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative/हेतु-अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेतुः (because of)

• द्रौणिः: the son of Droṇa (Aśvatthāman)
• द्रौणिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रौणि (प्रातिपदिक; द्रोणस्य अपत्यं)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता

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

• बिभेति: fears
• बिभेति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भी (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; कर्तरि

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (even/also)

• कालतः: from time (i.e., death/time)
• कालतः: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादान/हेतु (from/because of time)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aśvatthāmeśvara-liṅga (Kāśī)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Ghaṭodbhava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A liṅga shrine directly ahead of Droṇeśa; Aśvatthāman stands with intense gaze, then softens into devotion; Kāla personified recedes into shadow as Śiva’s protective aura expands.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvatthāmeśvara
• Aśvatthāman (Drauṇi)
• Droṇa
• Kāla
• Kāśī
• Śiva (as Liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional worship of Śiva in Kāśī grants fearlessness before Kāla by strengthening spiritual protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Aśvatthāmeśvara Liṅga, situated in front of the previously mentioned Droṇeśa in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arcana (formal worship/offerings) to the Liṅga is presented as the efficacious practice.