Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

भुजंगमेखलं लिंगं काश्यां दृष्ट्वा त्रिविष्टपम् । जन्मांतरेपि मुक्तः स्यादन्यत्र मरणे सति

Transliteration

bhujaṃgamekhalaṃ liṃgaṃ kāśyāṃ dṛṣṭvā triviṣṭapam | janmāṃtarepi muktaḥ syādanyatra maraṇe sati

Translation

ਕਾਸ਼ੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਸੱਪਾਂ ਦੀ ਮੇਖਲਾ ਨਾਲ ਘਿਰਿਆ ਉਹ ਤ੍ਰਿਵਿਸ਼ਟਪ ਲਿੰਗ ਦਰਸ਼ਨ ਕਰਕੇ, ਮਨੁੱਖ ਹੋਰ ਜਨਮ ਵਿੱਚ ਭੀ ਮੁਕਤ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਭਾਵੇਂ ਮੌਤ ਕਿਤੇ ਹੋਰ ਹੀ ਕਿਉਂ ਨ ਹੋਵੇ।

Word by Word

• भुजङ्ग-मेखलम्: having a serpent as a girdle; serpent-girdled
• भुजङ्ग-मेखलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भुजङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + मेखला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter, nominative/accusative singular; adjective)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, accusative singular)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine, locative singular)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having seen’

• त्रिविष्टपम्: heaven (Triviṣṭapa)
• त्रिविष्टपम्: Gati/Karma (Goal as object/गति-लक्ष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिविष्टप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, accusative singular)

• जन्म-अन्तरे: in another birth
• जन्म-अन्तरे: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, locative singular)

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), ‘also/even’

• मुक्तः: liberated
• मुक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे विशेषणवत् (masc. nom. sg.)

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Desha/Avyaya (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), ‘elsewhere/otherwise’

• मरणे: at death
• मरणे: Adhikarana (Condition locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, locative singular)

• सति: when (it) is; if (it) occurs
• सति: Saptami Absolute (Locative absolute/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: सत्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present participle), नपुंसक/पुं-स्त्री समानरूप; सप्तमी-सम्बन्धे ‘सति’ (locative absolute marker)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context, typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Triviṣṭapa-liṅga (Bhujangamekhala)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant Śiva-liṅga in Kāśī encircled like a girdle by coiled serpents; pilgrims with folded hands; the aura suggests Svarga (Triviṣṭapa) and mokṣa.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Triviṣṭapa
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana (sacred seeing) of a Kāśī-liṅga is proclaimed to bestow liberation, emphasizing Kāśī’s unique salvific power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), specifically the Triviṣṭapa/Bhujanga-mekhala Liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No detailed rite is prescribed here; the act highlighted is liṅga-darśana (beholding the Liṅga) in Kāśī.