Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

सकृत्त्रिलोचनार्चातो यच्छ्रेयः समुपार्ज्यते । न तदा जन्मसंपूंज्य लिंगान्यन्यानि लभ्यते

Transliteration

sakṛttrilocanārcāto yacchreyaḥ samupārjyate | na tadā janmasaṃpūṃjya liṃgānyanyāni labhyate

Translation

सकृदेव त्रिलोचनार्चनात् यच्छ्रेयः समुपार्ज्यते; तत् प्राप्ते पुनर्जन्मसंपूञ्ज्य अन्यलिङ्गानि न लभ्यन्ते।

Word by Word

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/आवृत्ति-अव्यय (adverb: once)

• त्रिलोचनार्चातः: from the worship of Trilocana
• त्रिलोचनार्चातः: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिलोचन + अर्चा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (त्रिलोचनस्य अर्चा)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• श्रेयः: the highest good/benefit
• श्रेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• समुपार्ज्यते: is obtained/earned
• समुपार्ज्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उप-आर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• तदा: then/at that time
• तदा: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (temporal adverb: then)

• जन्मसंपूज्य: having duly worshipped (through) birth(s) / after honoring birth
• जन्मसंपूज्य: Purvakala (Absolutive/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन्म + सम्पूज्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: अव्ययभावे/कर्मणि-क्तव्य/ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerund/absolutive) from सम्-पूज्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (जन्मना/जन्मस्य सम्पूज्य)

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas (emblems)
• लिङ्गानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• अन्यानि: other
• अन्यानि: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying लिङ्गानि)

• लभ्यते: is obtained
• लभ्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Trilocana-liṅga (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/pilgrims within Kāśī-māhātmya frame (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone pilgrim performs a single, complete pūjā at Trilocana: offering water, bilva, and a lamp; behind, a faint wheel of saṃsāra dissolves, indicating release from repeated births.

Characters & Entities

• Trilocana
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a single sincere worship of Trilocana in Kāśī is portrayed as spiritually decisive, eclipsing the need for long, birth-after-birth seeking.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), through the special greatness of the Trilocana Liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sakṛd-arcana—performing even one worship—of Trilocana is emphasized.