Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

दर्शयामास देवेशो लिंगं पश्यत पश्यत । इदमेव परं ज्योतिरिदमेव परात्परम्

Transliteration

darśayāmāsa deveśo liṃgaṃ paśyata paśyata | idameva paraṃ jyotiridameva parātparam

Translation

ଦେବେଶ ଲିଙ୍ଗକୁ ପ୍ରକାଶ କରି କହିଲେ—“ଦେଖ, ଦେଖ! ଏହିଏ ପରମ ଜ୍ୟୋତି; ଏହିଏ ପରାତ୍ପର, ସର୍ବୋଚ୍ଚ ତତ୍ତ୍ୱ।”

Word by Word

• दर्शयामास: showed
• दर्शयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Periphrastic Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative sense: caused to see/showed)

• देवेशः: Lord of gods
• देवेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• पश्यत: see!
• पश्यत: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• पश्यत: see! (again)
• पश्यत: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद; पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदं (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थ (indeed/only)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective) ज्योतिः

• ज्योतिः: light
• ज्योतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदं (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थ (indeed/only)

• परात्-परम्: higher than the highest; beyond the supreme
• परात्-परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective) इदम् (द्वितीयवाक्ये)

Speaker

Skanda (quoting Śiva’s proclamation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Liṅga-darśana in Kāśī (Śṛṅgāra-maṇḍapa/Viśveśvara precinct)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva reveals the liṅga as blazing yet serene light; Brahmā and Viṣṇu behold it as the supreme jyotis, while the assembly is transfixed by the proclamation ‘pश्यत पश्यत’.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Deveśa)
• Liṅga
• Brahmā (implied audience)
• Viṣṇu (implied audience)
• Kāśī (implied context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Liṅga is taught as the visible doorway to the formless Supreme Light—devotion and darśana lead the mind to transcendence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is implied as the place where the Liṅga’s supreme nature is directly proclaimed and revealed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The key act is darśana—‘beholding’ the Liṅga with awakened attention; it implies worship centered on seeing and recognizing the divine Light.