Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

तदर्चनादश्वमेधफलं त्वविकलं भवेत् । तदीशाने च वालीशस्तिर्यग्योनि निवारकः

Transliteration

tadarcanādaśvamedhaphalaṃ tvavikalaṃ bhavet | tadīśāne ca vālīśastiryagyoni nivārakaḥ

Translation

അവനെ ആരാധിച്ചതാൽ അശ്വമേധയാഗത്തിന്റെ അവികല ഫലം ലഭിക്കുന്നു. ആ പീഠത്തിന്റെ ഈശാന (വടക്കുകിഴക്ക്) ഭാഗത്ത് വാലീശൻ ഉണ്ടായി, തിര്യക്-യോനിജന്മം നിവാരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तत्: from that
• तत्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; ‘तद्’ = ‘उस (कारण) से’

• अर्चनात्: from worship
• अर्चनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arcana (प्रातिपदिक; √arc (धातु) से भाववाचक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• अश्वमेधफलम्: the fruit of the Aśvamedha sacrifice
• अश्वमेधफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśvamedha + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘अश्वमेधस्य फलम्’

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/contrast particle)

• अविकलम्: complete, unimpaired
• अविकलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avikala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (पूर्ण/अखण्ड)

• भवेत्: would be/should become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्: there/in that (place)
• तत्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘तस्मिन्’ अर्थे

• ईशाने: in the northeast (Īśāna)
• ईशाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘ईशान-कोण/ईशान-दिशा’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• वालीशः: Vālīśa (Lord of Vāli)
• वालीशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāli + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘वालिनः ईशः’

• तिर्यग्योनि: animal birth (lower womb)
• तिर्यग्योनि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tiryak + yoni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘तिर्यक्-रूपा योनि’

• निवारकः: remover/preventer
• निवारकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nivāraka (प्रातिपदिक; √vṛ (धातु) + नि + ण्वुल्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक ‘निवारयिता’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vālīśa (liṅga) in the īśāna direction of the described pīṭha in Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī shrine-complex with a central Śiva-liṅga being worshipped; to the northeast stands a smaller liṅga named Vālīśa, with subtle iconographic hints of protection from animal rebirth (a subdued animal silhouette dissolving into light).

Characters & Entities

• Sagareśvara (implied antecedent)
• Vālīśa
• Aśvamedha (rite)
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, sincere worship can yield the merit of grand Vedic sacrifices and protect the soul from lower rebirths.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vālīśa in the īśāna (northeast) direction of the described pīṭha complex in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arcana (ritual worship) leading to Aśvamedha-equivalent merit; directional shrine-worship is indicated for Vālīśa.