Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

तेषामपि हि लिंगानि तत्र संति सहस्रशः । तद्दर्शनाद्भवेत्पुंसां तत्तद्गणसलोकता

Transliteration

teṣāmapi hi liṃgāni tatra saṃti sahasraśaḥ | taddarśanādbhavetpuṃsāṃ tattadgaṇasalokatā

Translation

ആ ഗണങ്ങളുടെ ലിംഗങ്ങളും അവിടെ ആയിരക്കണക്കിന് നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു. അവയെ ദർശിച്ചതുമാത്രംകൊണ്ട് മനുഷ്യർ അതത് ഗണങ്ങളുടെ ലോകവാസം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; (genitive plural)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (निपात)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (निपात)
• Form: निपात

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas (emblems)
• लिङ्गानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• सन्ति: are
• सन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• सहस्रशः: by the thousand; in thousands
• सहस्रशः: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शस्-प्रत्ययान्त (adverb: 'by thousands/in thousands')

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; (genitive singular neuter)

• दर्शनात्: from seeing (it)
• दर्शनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; (ablative: 'from/through seeing')

• भवेत्: would arise; would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पुंसाम्: of men/people
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुम्स्/पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; (genitive plural)

• तत्तद्गणसलोकता: attainment of the same world as those respective gaṇas
• तत्तद्गणसलोकता: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक) + सलोकता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (तत्तद्गणस्य सलोकता = being in the same world as each such group)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sahasra-liṅga presence of gaṇas in Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic sacred map of Kāśī with countless small liṅga shrines—on steps, in niches, under trees—each subtly attended by a distinct gaṇa; pilgrims moving in streams, offering flowers and water.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Śiva-liṅgas
• Gaṇas
• Salokatā (attaining the same realm)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana itself is a potent sādhana in Kāśī—seeing sacred liṅgas is said to elevate the pilgrim to divine proximity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as a whole is praised as containing innumerable liṅgas connected to Śiva’s gaṇas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied practice is darśana (reverent visitation/seeing) of the liṅgas; no additional vow or donation is specified.