Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

वाराणसीं समायाता गोप्रेक्षं तत्ततः स्नृतम् । गोप्रेक्षाद्दक्षिणेभागे दधीचीश्वरसंज्ञितम्

Transliteration

vārāṇasīṃ samāyātā goprekṣaṃ tattataḥ snṛtam | goprekṣāddakṣiṇebhāge dadhīcīśvarasaṃjñitam

Translation

വാരണാസിയിൽ എത്തിയാൽ ആ ലിംഗം ‘ഗോപ്രേക്ഷ’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു. ഗോപ്രേക്ഷത്തിന്റെ തെക്കുഭാഗത്ത് ‘ദധീചീശ്വര’ എന്ന ലിംഗം ഉണ്ട്.

Word by Word

• वाराणसीम्: to Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसीम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• समायाताः: having come
• समायाताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + √या (धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past active sense)

• गोप्रेक्षम्: Goprekṣa (name of the liṅga/place)
• गोप्रेक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + प्रेक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—गाः प्रेक्षते इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ततः: then/from there
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• स्नृतम्: was remembered/recorded (as)
• स्नृतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; रूपम्—‘सस्मृतम्/स्मृतम्’ इत्यर्थे पाठभेदसम्भवः (snṛtam as transmitted)

• गोप्रेक्षात्: from (the place) Goprekṣa
• गोप्रेक्षात्: Apadana (Source/Reference point/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोप्रेक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• दक्षिणेभागे: in the southern part
• दक्षिणेभागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—दक्षिणे भागे (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-प्रायः)

• दधीचीश्वरसंज्ञितम्: named ‘Dadhīcīśvara’
• दधीचीश्वरसंज्ञितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दधीचि + ईश्वर + संज्ञित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—दधीचि-ईश्वर इति संज्ञया संज्ञितम् (तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-प्रायः); ‘संज्ञित’ = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Goprekṣa; Dadhīcīśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim arrives in Kāśī, pauses at Goprekṣa, then walks south through a lane to Dadhīcīśvara; a subtle overlay shows sage Dadhīci in meditation, symbolizing tapas and self-offering behind the liṅga’s name.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• Goprekṣa-liṅga
• Dadhīcīśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is taught as a navigable sacred mandala: knowing names and directions helps pilgrims align movement with remembrance and worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Goprekṣa-liṅga and the nearby Dadhīcīśvara-liṅga situated to its south.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is given; the verse provides locational guidance for pilgrimage and darśana.