Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

धर्मेशाद्दक्षिणे पूज्यं तत्त्वेशाख्यं परं नरैः । तत्त्वज्ञानं प्रवर्तेत तल्लिंगस्य समर्चनात्

Transliteration

dharmeśāddakṣiṇe pūjyaṃ tattveśākhyaṃ paraṃ naraiḥ | tattvajñānaṃ pravarteta talliṃgasya samarcanāt

Translation

ധർമേശന്റെ തെക്കുഭാഗത്ത് ‘തത്ത്വേശ’ എന്ന പരമ ലിംഗം മനുഷ്യർക്ക് പൂജ്യമാണ്. ആ ലിംഗത്തെ ഭക്തിയോടെ സമർച്ചിച്ചതാൽ ജീവിതത്തിൽ തത്ത്വജ്ഞാനം പ്രവഹിക്കാൻ തുടങ്ങുന്നു.

Word by Word

• धर्मेशात्: from Dharmēśa
• धर्मेशात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मेश (प्रातिपदिक; धर्म + ईश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• दक्षिणे: in the south
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; दिग्वाचक

• पूज्यम्: worthy of worship
• पूज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज्य (प्रातिपदिक; √पूज् (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तत्त्वेशाख्यम्)

• तत्त्वेशाख्यम्: named ‘Tattveśa’
• तत्त्वेशाख्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत्त्वेश-आख्य (प्रातिपदिक; तत्त्व + ईश + आख्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम्/स्थानम् implied)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrument/कर्तृकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• तत्त्वज्ञानम्: knowledge of reality
• तत्त्वज्ञानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व-ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक; तत्त्व + ज्ञान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्रवर्तेत: would arise/commence
• प्रवर्तेत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√वृत् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

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

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• समर्चनात्: from thorough worship
• समर्चनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समर्चन (प्रातिपदिक; सम् + √अर्च् (धातु) + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tattveśa-liṅga (south of Dharmeśa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kumbhaja (Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A south-facing shrine lane from Dharmeśa leads to Tattveśa-liṅga; the devotee offers bilva and water; behind the liṅga, a subtle halo forms as if ‘tattva’ (truth) dawns—depicted as a rising inner light in the devotee’s forehead/heart.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmeśa
• Tattveśa
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right worship (upāsanā) of Śiva in Kāśī awakens tattva-jñāna—clear insight into reality and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tattveśa liṅga, described as situated south of Dharmeśa in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sam-arcana (devout, complete worship) of the Tattveśa liṅga.