Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

इति संचितयंत्येव सेवां तत्याज नोंकृतेः । जलाभिलाषिणी सा तु लिंगनामामृतं पिबेत्

Transliteration

iti saṃcitayaṃtyeva sevāṃ tatyāja noṃkṛteḥ | jalābhilāṣiṇī sā tu liṃganāmāmṛtaṃ pibet

Translation

ଏଭଳି ଚିନ୍ତା କରି ସେ ‘ଓଂକୃତି’ ପାଇଁ ମଧ୍ୟ କେବେ ସେବା ତ୍ୟାଗ କଲା ନାହିଁ। ଜଳ ଆକାଂକ୍ଷା ହେଲେ ସେ ଲିଙ୍ଗନାମର ଅମୃତକୁ ହିଁ ପାନ କରୁଥିଲା।

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्ति/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• संचितयन्ती: thinking/reflecting, considering
• संचितयन्ती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + चि (धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle) (fem. nom. sg.)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Niyamaka (Emphasis/नियम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• सेवाम्: service, worship
• सेवाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (fem. acc. sg.)

• तत्याज: abandoned, gave up
• तत्याज: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• उङ्कृतेः: of the utterance/act of ‘uṅ’ (unclear term)
• उङ्कृतेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उङ्कृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (fem. gen. sg.); पाठभेद/दुर्लभ-शब्द (rare/uncertain reading)

• जल-अभिलाषिणी: desiring water
• जल-अभिलाषिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + अभिलाषिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (fem. nom. sg.)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (fem. nom. sg.)

• तु: but, however
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वय (adversative/contrast particle)

• लिङ्ग-नाम-अमृतम्: the nectar of the liṅga’s name
• लिङ्ग-नाम-अमृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + नाम (प्रातिपदिक) + अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (neut. acc. sg.)

• पिबेत्: should drink
• पिबेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; includes description of her practice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (liṅga-sevā and nāma-māhātmya context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sādhvī remains in attendance at the liṅga; though thirsty, she closes her eyes briefly to sip ‘nāma-amṛta’—depicted as luminous syllables rising like water into her lips—while her hands continue devotional service.

Characters & Entities

• Oṃkṛti (utterance of Oṃ)
• Liṅga
• Nāma (divine name)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine sound and the divine Name can sustain the devotee more than physical comforts; nāma-japa is portrayed as amṛta.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the narrative frame; the practice centers on Oṃkāra-liṅga devotion within Kāśī’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Oṃkāra-recitation (oṃkṛti/japa) and drinking the ‘nectar’ of the liṅga’s name—i.e., constant nāma-smaraṇa.