Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

गंगेश्वरस्य लिंगस्य काश्यां दृष्टिः सुदुर्लभा । तिथौ दशहरायां च यो गंगेशं समर्चयेत्

Transliteration

gaṃgeśvarasya liṃgasya kāśyāṃ dṛṣṭiḥ sudurlabhā | tithau daśaharāyāṃ ca yo gaṃgeśaṃ samarcayet

Translation

കാശിയിൽ ഗംഗേശ്വര ലിംഗത്തിന്റെ ദർശനം അത്യന്തം ദുർലഭം. ദശഹരാ തിഥിയിൽ ആരെങ്കിലും ഭക്തിശ്രദ്ധയോടെ ഗംഗേശനെ ആരാധിച്ചാൽ…

Word by Word

• गंगेश्वरस्य: of Gaṅgeśvara (Lord of Gaṅgā)
• गंगेश्वरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गंगेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) = गंगा + ईश्वर
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गंगायाः ईश्वरः)

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

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• दृष्टिः: the sight/vision
• दृष्टिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• सुदुर्लभा: very rare/difficult to obtain
• सुदुर्लभा: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुदुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दृष्टिः इति)

• तिथौ: on the lunar day
• तिथौ: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• दशहरायाम्: on Daśaharā (the ‘remover of ten’ day)
• दशहरायाम्: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशहरा (प्रातिपदिक) = दश + हरा
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (दशान् हरति इति/दशहराः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• गंगेशम्: Gaṅgeśa
• गंगेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गंगेश (प्रातिपदिक) = गंगा + ईश
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गंगायाः ईशः)

• समर्चयेत्: should worship
• समर्चयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgeśvara (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Kāśī approaches a modest, possibly partially concealed Śiva-liṅga named Gaṅgeśvara; Gaṅgā’s presence is implied through water offerings and riverfront ambience; the moment is marked as Daśaharā with festive yet reverent atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgeśvara
• Kāśī
• Daśaharā (tithi)
• Darśana
• Pūjā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rare darśana and timely worship in a supreme kṣetra magnify spiritual merit—Kāśī makes sacred encounters exceptionally potent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgeśvara liṅga in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship (samarcana/pūjā) of Gaṅgeśvara specifically on the Daśaharā tithi.