Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

विश्वेशाद्वायुदिग्भागे शंकुकर्णेश्वरं नरः । संपूज्य न विशेदत्र घोरे संसारसागरे

Transliteration

viśveśādvāyudigbhāge śaṃkukarṇeśvaraṃ naraḥ | saṃpūjya na viśedatra ghore saṃsārasāgare

Translation

വിശ്വേശനിൽ നിന്ന് വായുദിക്കുഭാഗത്ത് സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്ന ശങ്കുകർണ്ണേശ്വരനെ വിധിപൂർവ്വം പൂജിക്കുന്നവൻ, ഈ ഭയങ്കര സംസാരസാഗരത്തിൽ വീണ്ടും പ്രവേശിക്കുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• विश्वेशात्: from Viśveśvara
• विश्वेशात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन

• वायुदिग्भागे: in the wind-direction quarter (northwest)
• वायुदिग्भागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु + दिक् + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वायोः दिग्भागः = the quarter of the wind, i.e., northwest)

• शङ्कुकर्णेश्वरम्: Śaṅkukarṇeśvara
• शङ्कुकर्णेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कुकर्ण + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संपूज्य: having duly worshipped
• संपूज्य: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√पूज् (धातु) → संपूज्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund); उपसर्गः—सम्; अर्थः—सम्यक् पूजयित्वा

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• विशेत्: would enter
• विशेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√विश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक (here)

• घोरे: terrible
• घोरे: Adhikarana (Qualifier/अधिकरणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘संसारसागरे’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• संसारसागरे: in the ocean of saṃsāra
• संसारसागरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार + सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (संसाररूपः सागरः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṃkukarṇeśvara

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stylized map-like scene: Viśveśa at the center like a radiant axis, with a path leading to Śaṃkukarṇeśvara in the vāyu quarter; the pilgrim’s worship causes a dark ocean labeled ‘saṃsāra’ to recede.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśa (Viśvanātha)
• Śaṃkukarṇeśvara
• Kāśī
• Vāyu-dik (northwest)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Proper worship in Kāśī, aligned with its sacred geography, is taught as a path beyond saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaṃkukarṇeśvara in Kāśī, described as located northwest (Vāyu quarter) of Viśveśa/Viśvanātha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Saṃpūjā—duly worshipping Śaṃkukarṇeśvara.