Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

गणेन त्र्यक्षसंज्ञेन लिंगं त्र्यक्षेश्वरं परम् । त्रिलोचनपुरोभागे शील्येताद्यापि कुंभज

Transliteration

gaṇena tryakṣasaṃjñena liṃgaṃ tryakṣeśvaraṃ param | trilocanapurobhāge śīlyetādyāpi kuṃbhaja

Translation

ത്ര്യക്ഷ എന്ന ഗണൻ പരമ ത്ര്യക്ഷേശ്വര ലിംഗം പ്രതിഷ്ഠിച്ചു; ഹേ കുംഭജ! ത്രിലോചനന്റെ മുൻപ്രാകാരത്തിൽ അത് ഇന്നും ഭക്തിപൂർവ്വം സേവിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു।

Word by Word

• गणेन: by a gaṇa (attendant troop)
• गणेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्र्यक्षसंज्ञेन: named ‘Tryakṣa’
• त्र्यक्षसंज्ञेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्र्यक्षसंज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) = त्र्यक्ष + संज्ञ
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास (बहुव्रीहि-भावे न, ‘त्र्यक्ष’ इति संज्ञा यस्य) विशेषण

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

• त्र्यक्षेश्वरम्: Tryakṣeśvara
• त्र्यक्षेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्र्यक्षेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) = त्र्यक्ष + ईश्वर
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: त्र्यक्षस्य ईश्वरः)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (उत्तम/श्रेष्ठ)

• त्रिलोचनपुरोभागे: in the forepart/front area of Trilocana (temple/region)
• त्रिलोचनपुरोभागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिलोचन (प्रातिपदिक) = त्रि + लोचन; पुरोभाग (प्रातिपदिक) = पुरस् + भाग
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: त्रिलोचनस्य पुरोभागः)

• शील्येत: should be resorted to / should be practiced (visited)
• शील्येत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शील् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम; कर्मणि/भावे अर्थः ‘सेवेत/आचरितव्यः’

• अद्यापि: even today / still now
• अद्यापि: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययसमूह (adverbial phrase)

• कुम्भज: O Kumbhaja (Agastya)
• कुम्भज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भज (प्रातिपदिक) = कुम्भ + ज
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास (कुम्भात् जातः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tryakṣeśvara (at Trilocana)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Kumbhaja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A temple forecourt before Trilocana: the Tryakṣeśvara liṅga on a small pedestal, pilgrims circling; above, subtle presence of the gaṇa Tryakṣa as a guardian figure; Agastya (Kumbhaja) envisioned as the addressed sage listening.

Characters & Entities

• Tryakṣa (gaṇa)
• Tryakṣeśvara
• Trilocana
• Agastya (Kumbhaja)
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī preserves living sacred geography—sites established by Śiva’s gaṇas remain potent and worthy of continued worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tryakṣeśvara-liṅga, located in front of Trilocana in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

To resort to and worship/serve (śīlana) the Tryakṣeśvara-liṅga at its stated location.