Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

विचित्रजन्मकोटीनां स्मृतिर्नोत्र परिस्फुरेत् । एतत्तपस्विरचितलिंगपूजा विलोकनात्

Transliteration

vicitrajanmakoṭīnāṃ smṛtirnotra parisphuret | etattapasviracitaliṃgapūjā vilokanāt

Translation

Di sini ingatan tentang kelahiran kami yang beraneka dan tidak terhitung tidak lagi timbul—kerana kami telah menyaksikan pemujaan Liṅga yang didirikan oleh seorang tapasvī (pertapa).

Word by Word

• विचित्र-जन्म-कोटीनाम्: of crores of varied births
• विचित्र-जन्म-कोटीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचित्र + जन्मन् + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (कोटि); षष्ठी; बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (विचित्राणि जन्मानि तेषां कोटयः)

• स्मृतिः: memory
• स्मृतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• नः: our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी बहुवचन (enclitic)

• उत्र: here; in this regard
• उत्र: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here/therein; in this matter)

• परिस्फुरेत्: would arise clearly; would flash forth
• परिस्फुरेत्: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + स्फुर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Sambandha (Demonstrative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन

• तपस्वि-रचित-लिङ्ग-पूजा: the liṅga-worship performed by the ascetic
• तपस्वि-रचित-लिङ्ग-पूजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन् + रचित + लिङ्ग + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (पूजा); प्रथमा; एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (तपस्विना रचिता लिङ्गपूजा)

• विलोकनात्: from seeing; because of beholding
• विलोकनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + लोक् (धातु)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्यय: ल्युट्/अन (action noun); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative); एकवचन

Speaker

Birds (continuing their reflection before Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tapasvi-racita Liṅga (unnamed in verse) within Kāśī

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Internal audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic (tapasvin) performs or has established liṅga worship; birds watch, and a subtle aura indicates the calming of karmic memories—like ripples settling on water.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Tapasvī (ascetic)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seeing and honoring Liṅga-worship—especially that founded by tapas—can quiet the burdensome impressions of many births and turn the mind toward purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to a sacred Liṅga-worship context within Kāśī; while unnamed here, it aligns with Kāśī’s wider reputation for Liṅga-darśana and liberation-oriented merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pūjā (worship of Śiva’s Liṅga) and its darśana (beholding) are indicated as spiritually transformative.