Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा त्रिविष्टपं लिंगं कोटितीर्थफलं लभेत् । यदन्यत्रार्जितं पापं तत्काशी दर्शनाद्व्रजेत्

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā triviṣṭapaṃ liṃgaṃ koṭitīrthaphalaṃ labhet | yadanyatrārjitaṃ pāpaṃ tatkāśī darśanādvrajet

Translation

ਤ੍ਰਿਵਿਸ਼ਟਪ-ਲਿੰਗ ਦਾ ਦਰਸ਼ਨ ਕਰਕੇ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਨੂੰ ਕਰੋੜਾਂ ਤੀਰਥਾਂ ਦੇ ਫਲ ਦੀ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤੀ ਹੁੰਦੀ ਹੈ। ਹੋਰ ਕਿਤੇ ਇਕੱਠਾ ਕੀਤਾ ਪਾਪ ਵੀ ਕਾਸ਼ੀ ਦੇ ਦਰਸ਼ਨ ਮਾਤ੍ਰ ਨਾਲ ਦੂਰ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): having seen

• triviṣṭapam: heavenly (Triviṣṭapa-)
• triviṣṭapam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri + viṣṭapa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; liṅgam इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• liṅgam: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• koṭi-tīrtha-phalam: the fruit of ten million tīrthas
• koṭi-tīrtha-phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: koṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी/संबन्ध): कोटीनां तीर्थाणां फलम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• labhet: would obtain
• labhet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• yat: whatever (sin)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• anyatra: elsewhere
• anyatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (elsewhere)

• ārjitam: acquired/committed
• ārjitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: arj (धातु) → ārjita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; pāpam इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• pāpam: sin
• pāpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• tat: that (sin)
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; pāpam इत्यस्य पुनर्निर्देशः

• kāśī: Kāśī
• kāśī: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; (अत्र ‘काशी-दर्शनात्’ इत्यर्थे)

• darśanāt: from (the) sight/visiting
• darśanāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थक (ablative of cause)

• vrajet: would depart/be removed
• vrajet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vraj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Triviṣṭapa-liṅga (in Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a small Kāśī shrine, the Triviṣṭapa-liṅga stands on a yoni-pīṭha; as the devotee beholds it, countless tīrthas appear as miniature rivers, ghats, and mountains circling like a cosmic garland; dark stains of sin peel away into ash and vanish in the lamp’s flame.

Characters & Entities

• Triviṣṭapa-liṅga
• Kāśī
• tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-darśana in Kāśī is framed as extraordinarily transformative, conferring vast merit and removing accumulated sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Triviṣṭapa-liṅga in Kāśī, along with Kāśī itself as a sin-destroying sacred field.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (devotional viewing/visitation) of Triviṣṭapa-liṅga and Kāśī is emphasized rather than a detailed rite.