Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

पिंगलेश्वरमभ्यर्च्य कालेशात्किंचिदुत्तरे । लभते पिंगलज्ञानं येन तन्मयतां व्रजेत्

Transliteration

piṃgaleśvaramabhyarcya kāleśātkiṃciduttare | labhate piṃgalajñānaṃ yena tanmayatāṃ vrajet

Translation

କାଲେଶଠାରୁ ଅଳ୍ପ ଉତ୍ତରେ ଅବସ୍ଥିତ ପିଙ୍ଗଲେଶ୍ୱରଙ୍କୁ ଅଭ୍ୟର୍ଚ୍ୟା କଲେ ‘ପିଙ୍ଗଲ’ ଜ୍ଞାନ ଲଭ୍ୟ ହୁଏ; ଯାହାଦ୍ୱାରା ସେହି ପରମତତ୍ତ୍ୱରେ ତନ୍ମୟତା ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ ହୁଏ।

Word by Word

• piṃgaleśvaram: Piṅgaleśvara
• piṃgaleśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṃgala (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘पिङ्गलस्य ईश्वरः’

• abhyarcya: having worshipped
• abhyarcya: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi√arc (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having worshipped’

• kāleśāt: from Kāleśvara
• kāleśāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-नाम; अपादानार्थे (ablative: from)

• kiṃcit: a little
• kiṃcit: Visheshaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kiṃcit (सर्वनाम/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्ययप्राय (indeclinable quantifier), ‘a little/somewhat’

• uttare: to the north; in the northern (part)
• uttare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरणे (locative)

• labhate: obtains
• labhate: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √labh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• piṃgalajñānam: Piṅgala-knowledge (special knowledge)
• piṃgalajñānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṃgala (प्रातिपदिक) + jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘पिङ्गलसम्बन्धि ज्ञानम्’

• yena: by which
• yena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे/करणे ‘by which’

• tanmayatām: identity/absorption with That
• tanmayatām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tanmaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धित/प्रातिपदिक ‘-ता’ (state of being absorbed in that)

• vrajet: would attain; would go to
• vrajet: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vraj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (contextual, Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Piṅgaleśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs arcana to Piṅgaleśvara; from the liṅga emanates a golden-amber (piṅgala) radiance symbolizing wisdom; the devotee’s posture shifts from offering to meditative stillness, indicating tanmayatā.

Characters & Entities

• Piṅgaleśvara
• Kāleśvara
• Piṅgalajñāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as a place where devotion ripens into liberating knowledge—leading to tanmayatā, absorption in the Divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Piṅgaleśvara, described as located slightly north of Kāleśvara in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abhyarcana (formal worship/archana) of Piṅgaleśvara is prescribed to gain the stated spiritual knowledge.