Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

सा पूजिता प्रयत्नेन सुखवस्तिप्रदा सदा । महादेवस्य पूर्वेण गोप्रेक्षं लिंगमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

sā pūjitā prayatnena sukhavastipradā sadā | mahādevasya pūrveṇa goprekṣaṃ liṃgamuttamam

Translation

ਉਹ (ਵਿਗ੍ਰਹਵਤੀ) ਜੇ ਯਤਨ ਨਾਲ ਪੂਜੀ ਜਾਵੇ ਤਾਂ ਸਦਾ ਸੁਖਮਈ ਵਾਸ ਅਤੇ ਕਲਿਆਣ ਬਖ਼ਸ਼ਦੀ ਹੈ। ਮਹਾਦੇਵ ਦੇ ਪੂਰਬ ਵੱਲ ‘ਗੋਪ੍ਰੇਕ੍ਸ਼’ ਨਾਮ ਦਾ ਉੱਤਮ ਲਿੰਗ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• सा: she/that (city)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पूजिता: worshipped
• पूजिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √पूज् (धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• सुखवस्तिप्रदा: giver of happy dwelling/prosperity
• सुखवस्तिप्रदा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुख + वस्ति + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—सुखं वस्तिं (सुखवस्ति) प्रददाति इति (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• महादेवस्य: of Mahādeva
• महादेवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; समासः—महान् + देवः (कर्मधारय)

• पूर्वेण: to the east (of)
• पूर्वेण: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; दिक्शब्दः—‘to the east of’ (directional instrumental)

• गोप्रेक्षम्: ‘Goprekṣa’ (cow-seeing)
• गोप्रेक्षम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गो + प्रेक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—गाः प्रेक्षते इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

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

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vigrahavatī; Goprekṣa-liṅga

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees worship Vigrahavatī with lamps and garlands; the scene then shifts to the east of Mahādeva where the Goprekṣa liṅga stands, adorned with bilva and a small Nandi, suggesting a calm, prosperous household blessing.

Characters & Entities

• Vigrahavatī
• Mahādeva (tīrtha)
• Goprekṣa-liṅga
• Vārāṇasī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional effort (prayatna) in worship bears tangible and subtle fruits—well-being in life and auspiciousness through Kāśī’s deity-network.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vigrahavatī (as worship-worthy) and the Goprekṣa liṅga located east of the Mahādeva tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā of Vigrahavatī ‘with effort’ is recommended; the verse also gives directional guidance for locating Goprekṣa-liṅga.