Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

येन लिंगमिदं दृष्टं श्रद्धया शुद्धचक्षुषा । साक्षात्कारेण तेनाहं दृष्ट एव दिवौकसः

Transliteration

yena liṃgamidaṃ dṛṣṭaṃ śraddhayā śuddhacakṣuṣā | sākṣātkāreṇa tenāhaṃ dṛṣṭa eva divaukasaḥ

Translation

ശ്രദ്ധയോടും ശുദ്ധദൃഷ്ടിയോടും കൂടി ആരെങ്കിലും ഈ ലിംഗം ദർശിക്കുന്നുവെങ്കിൽ, ആ നേരിട്ടുള്ള സാക്ഷാത്കാരത്തിലൂടെ അവൻ എന്നെയേ ദർശിച്ചവനാകുന്നു—ഹേ സ്വർഗവാസികളേ!

Word by Word

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karana (Instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम्)

• दृष्टम्: seen
• दृष्टम्: Kriya (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• शुद्धचक्षुषा: with purified sight
• शुद्धचक्षुषा: Karana (Instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्ध-चक्षुस् (प्रातिपदिक; शुद्ध + चक्षुस्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (शुद्धं चक्षुः)

• साक्षात्कारेण: by direct realization
• साक्षात्कारेण: Karana (Instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साक्षात्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• दृष्टः: (am) seen
• दृष्टः: Kriya (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अहम्-सम्बन्धि

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis)

• दिवौकसः: O dwellers of heaven (gods)
• दिवौकसः: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवौकस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), बहुवचन

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: This Kāśī-liṅga (Avimukta/Viśveśvara paradigm)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee with folded hands beholds the liṅga; the devotee’s eyes are depicted as luminous/clear, symbolizing śuddha-cakṣuḥ; Śiva’s presence is subtly revealed as a superimposed cosmic form or aura emerging from the liṅga, indicating sākṣātkāra.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Devatās (divaukas)
• Viśveśvara (implied)
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faith-filled darśana of the Kāśī liṅga is equated with direct realization of Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Viśveśvara liṅga in Kāśī, presented as a direct gateway to Śiva’s sākṣātkāra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (beholding) of the liṅga with śraddhā and inner purity (śuddhacakṣus).