Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

लिंगं समर्चितं दृष्ट्वा यः कुर्यात्प्रणतिं सकृत् । संदेहो जायते तस्य पुनर्देहनिबंधने

Transliteration

liṃgaṃ samarcitaṃ dṛṣṭvā yaḥ kuryātpraṇatiṃ sakṛt | saṃdeho jāyate tasya punardehanibaṃdhane

Translation

സമ്യക് പൂജിക്കപ്പെട്ട ലിംഗം ദർശിച്ച് ആരെങ്കിലും ഒരിക്കൽ പോലും പ്രണാമം ചെയ്യുകയാണെങ്കിൽ, അവന് വീണ്ടും ദേഹബന്ധനം (പുനർജന്മം) ഉണ്ടാകുമോ എന്ന സംശയം ഉദിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• liṅgam: the liṅga
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• samarcitam: well-worshipped
• samarcitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-√arc (धातु)
• Form: कृत-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम्)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Sambandha (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): 'दृष्ट्वा'

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• kuryāt: should make/do
• kuryāt: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• praṇatim: a bow/salutation
• praṇatim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praṇati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• sakṛt: once
• sakṛt: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sakṛt (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: once)

• saṃdehaḥ: doubt
• saṃdehaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃdeha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• jāyate: arises
• jāyate: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• tasya: for him/of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• punar: again
• punar: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्तिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: again)

• deha-nibandhane: in the binding to a body (rebirth)
• deha-nibandhane: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deha (प्रातिपदिक) + nibandhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देहस्य निबन्धने)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī / Avimukta-kṣetra (liṅga-darśana)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant, flower-adorned liṅga stands in a sanctum; a pilgrim performs a single deep prostration, while a faint broken chain motif symbolizes loosening rebirth bonds.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Praṇati (bowing)
• Punarjanma (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a single act of reverent acknowledgment (darśana and praṇāma) before Śiva can loosen the fear of rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implicit sacred arena where liṅga-darśana and devotion are said to yield liberation-oriented results.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform praṇati (a single bow) upon seeing a properly worshiped Śiva-liṅga.