Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

सुमुखेशं महालिंगं सुमुखाख्यगणार्चितम् । पश्चिमाभिमुखं लिंगं दृष्ट्वा पापैः प्रमुच्यते

Transliteration

sumukheśaṃ mahāliṃgaṃ sumukhākhyagaṇārcitam | paścimābhimukhaṃ liṃgaṃ dṛṣṭvā pāpaiḥ pramucyate

Translation

സുമുഖനാമ ഗണങ്ങൾ ആരാധിച്ച ‘സുമുഖേശ’ മഹാലിംഗം പടിഞ്ഞാറോട്ടു മുഖമുള്ളത്; അതിന്റെ ദർശനത്തിൽ പാപമോചനം ലഭിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• सुमुखेशम्: Sumukheśa (Lord Sumukha)
• सुमुखेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुमुख-ईश (प्रातिपदिक; सुमुख + ईश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

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

• सुमुखाख्यगणार्चितम्: worshipped by the gaṇas called ‘Sumukha’
• सुमुखाख्यगणार्चितम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुमुख-आख्य-गण-अर्चित (प्रातिपदिक; सुमुख + आख्य + गण + अर्चित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) विशेषणम् (qualifying महालिङ्गम्)

• पश्चिमाभिमुखम्: west-facing
• पश्चिमाभिमुखम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पश्चिम-अभिमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying लिङ्गम्)

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

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (having seen)

• पापैः: from sins
• पापैः: Apadana (Separation sense/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; वियोग/हेतु (instrumental: from sins / by sins as cause)

• प्रमुच्यते: is completely freed
• प्रमुच्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda instructing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sumukheśa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand liṅga shrine where the liṅga faces west; the gaṇa Sumukha is depicted as an attendant worshipper, while pilgrims receive purification through mere sight.

Characters & Entities

• Sumukheśa
• Sumukha Gaṇa
• West-facing (paścimābhimukha) Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana of Śiva in Kāśī is itself a purifier; sacred orientation and place are presented as carriers of spiritual potency.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Sumukheśa Mahāliṅga in Kāśī, described as west-facing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (seeing) of the Sumukheśa Liṅga; the verse highlights the salvific power of sight in a sacred site.