Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

न तुष्यति तथा शंभुर्यज्ञदानतपोव्रतैः । यथा तुष्येत्सकृल्लिंगे विधिनाभ्यर्चिते सति

Transliteration

na tuṣyati tathā śaṃbhuryajñadānatapovrataiḥ | yathā tuṣyetsakṛlliṃge vidhinābhyarcite sati

Translation

യജ്ഞം, ദാനം, തപസ്സ്, വ്രതം എന്നിവകൊണ്ട് ശംഭു അത്ര പ്രസന്നനാകുന്നില്ല; വിധിപൂർവം ഒരിക്കൽ ലിംഗാർച്ചന ചെയ്താൽ അത്ര പ്രസന്നനാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

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

• तुष्यति: is pleased
• तुष्यति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• तथा: so/in that way
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner adverb/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb)

• शंभुः: Śambhu (Śiva)
• शंभुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• यज्ञ-दान-तपः-व्रतैः: by sacrifices, gifts, austerities, and vows
• यज्ञ-दान-तपः-व्रतैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक) + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (yajña, dāna, tapas, vrata)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-सम्बन्धबोधक (as/just as)

• तुष्येत्: would be pleased
• तुष्येत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Sambandha (Frequency adverb/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/आवृत्तिवाचक (once)

• लिङ्गे: in the liṅga
• लिङ्गे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• विधिना: by proper rite
• विधिना: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• अभ्यर्चिते: when (it is) worshipped
• अभ्यर्चिते: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; धातु: अर्च्; उपसर्ग: अभि; सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध (with liṅge)

• सति: when/while (it) is
• सति: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; धातु: अस्; सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध (locative absolute marker: 'when/while being')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī liṅga-darśana/arcana (general)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Contrast tableau: on one side grand yajña fires, gifts, austerities; on the other a simple devotee offering water and bilva to a liṅga—Śiva’s favor visibly inclines to the latter.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu
• Liṅga
• Yajña
• Dāna
• Tapa
• Vrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual correctness joined with devotion in liṅga-pūjā is portrayed as the most direct way to please Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī context frames the teaching, where Śiva’s presence makes liṅga-worship exceptionally efficacious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform liṅga worship ‘vidhinā’—according to prescribed procedure—even once.