Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

महारुद्रजपासक्तः सुत्रामाथ त्रिलोचनम् । ददर्श लिंगमध्यस्थं स्वभासा दीपितांबरम्

Transliteration

mahārudrajapāsaktaḥ sutrāmātha trilocanam | dadarśa liṃgamadhyasthaṃ svabhāsā dīpitāṃbaram

Translation

മഹാരുദ്രമന്ത്രജപത്തിൽ ലീനനായ സുത്രാമാ ഇന്ദ്രൻ, ലിംഗമധ്യസ്ഥനായ ത്രിലോചനനെ ദർശിച്ചു; അവന്റെ സ്വപ്രഭ ദിക്കുകളെല്ലാം പ്രകാശിപ്പിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• महारुद्रजपासक्तः: attached to the japa of Mahārudra
• महारुद्रजपासक्तः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महान् + रुद्र + जप + आसक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative Singular; तत्पुरुषः (उपपद/षष्ठी) ‘महारुद्रस्य जपे आसक्तः’

• सुत्रामा: Sutrāmā (Indra)
• सुत्रामा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत्रामा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative Singular

• अथ: then
• अथ: Kāla/Anukrama (Sequencer)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: मङ्गल/अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/now)

• त्रिलोचनम्: Trilocana (three-eyed Śiva)
• त्रिलोचनम्: Karma (Object of seeing/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular; द्विगु-समासः ‘त्रीणि लोचनानि यस्य’ (name of Śiva)

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन — 3sg perfect (parasmaipada)

• लिङ्गमध्यस्थम्: situated in the middle of the liṅga
• लिङ्गमध्यस्थम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of Trilocana)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिङ्ग + मध्य + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः ‘लिङ्गस्य मध्ये स्थितम्’

• स्वभासा: by his own radiance
• स्वभासा: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + भासा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental Singular; तत्पुरुषः ‘स्वया भासा’

• दीपिताम्बरम्: whose garment/sky was shining
• दीपिताम्बरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of Trilocana)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीपित + अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular; कर्मधारयः ‘दीपितम् अम्बरं यस्य’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmeśvara liṅga (Dharmapīṭha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, absorbed in Mahārudra japa, beholds Trilocana within the liṅga; Śiva’s own radiance lights the quarters, making the shrine glow like a pillar of light.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Sutrāmā)
• Śiva (Trilocana)
• Liṅga
• Mahārudra-japa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra-japa ripens into direct vision (darśana) of Śiva, who reveals Himself as self-luminous within the liṅga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dharmaśvara liṅga context within Kāśī’s sacred geography (as developed in this adhyāya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mahārudra-mantra japa as a focused sādhana leading to Śiva’s darśana.