Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

दृष्टं त्रिलोचनात्प्राच्यां नर्मदेशं सुशर्मदम् । तल्लिंगार्चनतो नृणां गर्भवासो निषिध्यते

Transliteration

dṛṣṭaṃ trilocanātprācyāṃ narmadeśaṃ suśarmadam | talliṃgārcanato nṛṇāṃ garbhavāso niṣidhyate

Translation

ତ୍ରିଲୋଚନର ପୂର୍ବେ ନର୍ମଦେଶ ଲିଙ୍ଗ ଅଛି, ଯାହା ସୁକଳ୍ୟାଣଦାୟକ; ସେଇ ଲିଙ୍ଗର ଅର୍ଚ୍ଚନାରେ ମନୁଷ୍ୟଙ୍କ ଗର୍ଭବାସ (ପୁନର୍ଜନ୍ମ) ନିଷିଧ ହୁଏ।

Word by Word

• dṛṣṭam: seen
• dṛṣṭam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom/Acc sg)

• tri-locanāt: from (the liṅga of) the Three-eyed (Śiva)
• tri-locanāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + locana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); बहुव्रीहि—‘त्रीणि लोचनानि यस्य’ (epithet of Śiva)

• prācyām: in the east
• prācyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prācī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); दिशावाचक

• narmadā-īśam: Lord of Narmadā (name of a liṅga)
• narmadā-īśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: narmadā (प्रातिपदिक) + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष—‘नर्मदायाः ईशः’

• su-śarma-dam: giver of great well-being
• su-śarma-dam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + śarman (प्रातिपदिक) + da (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष—‘सुशर्म ददाति’ = ‘giver of great welfare’

• tat: of that
• tat: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम

• liṅga-arcana-taḥ: from worship of the liṅga
• liṅga-arcana-taḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + arcana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष—‘लिङ्गस्य अर्चनम्’; ‘-तः’ = ablatival ending ‘from/by’

• nṛṇām: of men
• nṛṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• garbha-vāsaḥ: dwelling in the womb (rebirth)
• garbha-vāsaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: garbha (प्रातिपदिक) + vāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष—‘गर्भे वासः’

• niṣidhyate: is prevented, is forbidden
• niṣidhyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: niṣ-√sidh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa context, Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadeśa Liṅga

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An eastern shrine at sunrise; the liṅga radiates calm light; a devotee offers bilva and water; behind, a symbolic wheel of rebirth slows and dissolves, replaced by a serene lotus—signifying cessation of garbha-vāsa.

Characters & Entities

• Trilocana Liṅga
• Narmadeśa Liṅga
• garbhavāsa (womb-dwelling/rebirth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s shrines are framed as liberating: sincere worship can obstruct the cycle of rebirth symbolized as ‘womb-dwelling’.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadeśa Liṅga, located to the east of the Trilocana shrine in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅgārcana (ritual worship of the Liṅga) is prescribed as the means to prevent garbhavāsa (rebirth).