Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

शंकुकर्णेश्वरं लिंगं शंकुकर्ण ग णार्चितम् । दृष्ट्वा न जायते जंतुर्जातु मातुर्महोदरे

Transliteration

śaṃkukarṇeśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ śaṃkukarṇa ga ṇārcitam | dṛṣṭvā na jāyate jaṃturjātu māturmahodare

Translation

சங்குகர்ணரின் கணங்களால் வழிபடப்படும் சங்குகர்ணேஸ்வர லிங்கத்தை தரிசித்தால், உயிர் இனி ஒருபோதும் தாயின் கருவில் பிறப்பதில்லை.

Word by Word

• शङ्कुकर्णेश्वरम्: Śaṅkukarṇeśvara
• शङ्कुकर्णेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कुकर्ण + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शङ्कुकर्णस्य ईश्वरः)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘शङ्कुकर्णेश्वरम्’ इत्यस्य अप्पोजिशन/विशेष्य

• शङ्कुकर्ण: Śaṅkukarṇa
• शङ्कुकर्ण: Karta (Agent qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कुकर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘गण’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (Śaṅkukarṇa-named)

• गण: (Śiva’s) attendant/gaṇa
• गण: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘अर्चितम्’ इत्यस्य कर्ता (by the gaṇa)

• अर्चितम्: worshipped
• अर्चितम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √अर्च् (धातु) → अर्चित (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृत-प्रत्ययः—क्त (PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘लिङ्गम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund); अर्थः—दर्शनं कृत्वा

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

• जायते: is born
• जायते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• जन्तुः: a creature, being
• जन्तुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जातु: ever
• जातु: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जातु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कदाचित्-अर्थे (ever/at any time)

• मातुः: of (his) mother
• मातुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• महोदरे: in the great womb
• महोदरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् + उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महत् उदरम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṃkukarṇeśvara

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a small Kāśī shrine, the Śaṃkukarṇeśvara liṅga is garlanded; gaṇas (Śiva’s attendants) are depicted in reverent worship around it, while a pilgrim receives a vision of the womb-cycle breaking like a shattered wheel.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṃkukarṇeśvara
• Śaṃkukarṇa
• Gaṇas
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana of a revered Kāśī-liṅga is presented as a direct cause for liberation—freedom from repeated birth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaṃkukarṇeśvara-liṅga in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (sacred viewing) of the liṅga; worship is referenced as performed by Śaṃkukarṇa’s gaṇas.