Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

दृश्यान्येतानि लिंगानि महापापोपशांतये । अपरापि शुभा यात्रा योगक्षेमकरी सदा

Transliteration

dṛśyānyetāni liṃgāni mahāpāpopaśāṃtaye | aparāpi śubhā yātrā yogakṣemakarī sadā

Translation

മഹാപാപങ്ങളുടെ ശമനത്തിനായി ഈ ലിംഗങ്ങളെ ദർശിക്കേണ്ടതാണ്. യോഗക്ഷേമങ്ങൾ എപ്പോഴും നൽകുന്ന മറ്റൊരു ശുഭകരമായ യാത്ര കൂടിയുണ്ട്.

Word by Word

• दृश्यानि: to be seen
• दृश्यानि: Kriya (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (यत्) कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (लिङ्गानि) ‘to be seen/should be visited’

• एतानि: these
• एतानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गानि)

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas (Śiva-emblems)
• लिङ्गानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• महापापोपशान्तये: for the pacification of great sins
• महापापोपशान्तये: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + पाप + उपशान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (प्रयोजन), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (महापापस्य उपशान्तिः)

• अपरा: another
• अपरा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (यात्रा)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपात (also/even)

• शुभा: auspicious
• शुभा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (यात्रा)

• यात्रा: pilgrimage
• यात्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• योगक्षेमकरी: bringing welfare and security
• योगक्षेमकरी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योग + क्षेम + करिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (योगक्षेमं करोति इति) विशेषणम् (यात्रा)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नित्यत्ववाचक क्रियाविशेषण (always)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly as Skanda teaching Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aṣṭāyatana liṅga-darśana (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene montage of the eight liṅgas glowing in sequence; the pilgrim’s face relaxes as burdens lift; concluding frame hints at another ‘śubhā yātrā’—a broader circuit extending beyond the eight shrines.

Characters & Entities

• liṅgas (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana of Kāśī’s liṅgas is presented as a powerful purifier, and pilgrimage is praised as a sustained source of yoga-kṣema.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s Śiva-liṅgas collectively, emphasizing their city-wide purificatory power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertake liṅga-darśana for removal of grave sins; the text also signals an additional auspicious yātrā that grants ongoing welfare.