Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

प्रतीच्यामट्टहासस्य मित्रावरुणनामनी । लिंगे तल्लोकदे पूज्ये महापातकहारिणी

Transliteration

pratīcyāmaṭṭahāsasya mitrāvaruṇanāmanī | liṃge tallokade pūjye mahāpātakahāriṇī

Translation

അട്ടഹാസത്തിന്റെ പടിഞ്ഞാറ് മിത്രാവരുണനാമകമായ ലിംഗം വിരാജിക്കുന്നു. സ്വന്തം ദിവ്യലോകം നൽകുന്ന, ലോകദേവതകൾക്കും പൂജ്യമായ ആ ലിംഗാരാധന മഹാപാതകങ്ങളെയും ഹരിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• pratīcyām: in the west (western direction)
• pratīcyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratīcī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — locative singular; दिशावाचक-शब्दः (direction term)

• aṭṭahāsasya: of Aṭṭahāsa
• aṭṭahāsasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṭṭahāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — genitive singular

• mitrāvaruṇa-nāmanī: named ‘Mitra-Varuṇa’
• mitrāvaruṇa-nāmanī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mitra + varuṇa + nāmanī (प्रातिपदिक; ‘nāmanī’ = नाम्नी/नामनी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• liṅge: in the liṅga (icon)
• liṅge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — locative singular

• tat-lokade: in the one that grants that world
• tat-lokade: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tat + lokada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — locative singular; विशेषणम्

• pūjye: worthy of worship
• pūjye: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūjya (कृदन्त; √pūj पूज्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — locative singular; कर्मणि-भावे ‘to be worshipped’ (gerundive)

• mahāpātaka-hāriṇī: remover of great sins
• mahāpātaka-hāriṇī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + pātaka + hāriṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mitrāvaruṇa-liṅga (west of Aṭṭahāsa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim approaches a small westward shrine near Aṭṭahāsa; the liṅga is garlanded, with water-pot and bilva leaves; a subtle aura suggests ‘loka-prada’ power and sin-dissolving sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Aṭṭahāsa-liṅga
• Mitrāvaruṇa-liṅga
• Mahāpātaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s presence in Kāśī is depicted as redemptive—devotional worship can burn even grave karmic burdens.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mitrāvaruṇa-liṅga, located west of the Aṭṭahāsa-liṅga in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā (worship) of the Mitrāvaruṇa liṅga is praised as removing mahāpātakas and granting a divine realm.