Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

शिवलोकमवाप्नोति भावितेनांतरात्मना । तन्नैरृते च शूलेशो द्रष्टव्यश्च प्रयत्नतः

Transliteration

śivalokamavāpnoti bhāvitenāṃtarātmanā | tannairṛte ca śūleśo draṣṭavyaśca prayatnataḥ

Translation

ഭക്തിഭാവത്തോടെ ഭാവിതവും ശുദ്ധീകരിതവും ആയ അന്തരാത്മയുള്ളവൻ ശിവലോകം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു. അതിന്റെ നൈഋത്യ (തെക്ക്-പടിഞ്ഞാറ്) ദിക്കിൽ ഉള്ള ശൂലേശനെയും പരിശ്രമത്തോടെ ദർശിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• शिवलोकम्: Śiva’s world (Śivaloka)
• शिवलोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवलोक (प्रातिपदिक; शिव + लोक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य लोकः)

• अवाप्नोति: attains
• अवाप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु) उपसर्गः अव-
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• भावितेन: by the cultivated/meditated
• भावितेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भावित (कृदन्त; √भू (धातु) णिच् → भावयति; क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अन्तरात्मना)

• अन्तरात्मना: by the inner self
• अन्तरात्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तरात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; अन्तर + आत्मन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (अन्तरः आत्मा)

• तत्: that (place/thing)
• तत्: Sambandha (Reference/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देशार्थम् (अव्यक्त-पूर्वोक्त-सूचन)

• नैरृते: in the south-western (direction/place)
• नैरृते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नैरृत (प्रातिपदिक; निरृति-सम्बन्धी)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दिशि/स्थाने)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शूलेशः: Śūleśa (Lord of the trident)
• शूलेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलेश (प्रातिपदिक; शूल + ईश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शूलस्य ईशः)

• द्रष्टव्यः: is to be seen
• द्रष्टव्यः: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्रष्टव्य (कृदन्त; √दृश् (धातु) तव्यत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (शूलेशः द्रष्टव्यः)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort; diligently
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūleśa / Śūleśvara (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim with folded hands, mind inwardly composed, walks through Kāśī lanes toward a Śiva shrine marked by a trident emblem; the southwest direction is subtly indicated by the sun’s angle and cityscape.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-loka
• Śūleśa
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer pilgrimage bears full fruit when paired with inner cultivation; together they lead toward Śiva’s realm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śūleśa, located to the southwest in the described Kāśī sacred layout.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana: an instruction to intentionally visit and see Śūleśa.