Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

दर्शनादस्य लिंगस्य हयमेधशतोद्भवम् । पुण्यं लभेत नियतं ममानुग्रहतोमराः

Transliteration

darśanādasya liṃgasya hayamedhaśatodbhavam | puṇyaṃ labheta niyataṃ mamānugrahatomarāḥ

Translation

హే అమరులారా! ఈ లింగ దర్శనమాత్రముచేతనే శత అశ్వమేధ యాగజన్య పుణ్యము నా అనుగ్రహముచేత నిశ్చయంగా లభించును।

Word by Word

• दर्शनात्: from seeing
• दर्शनात्: Apadana (Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ (cause)

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• हयमेधशतोद्भवम्: arising from a hundred Aśvamedhas
• हयमेधशतोद्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हयमेध-शत-उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक; हयमेध + शत + उद्भव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘पुण्यम्’; ‘उद्भव’ = arising from

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• लभेत: would obtain
• लभेत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नियतम्: certainly
• नियतम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नियत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन प्रयुक्तम्; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अनुग्रहतः: through (my) grace
• अनुग्रहतः: Apadana (Cause/Means-like/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ (by/through grace)

• अमराः: the gods
• अमराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Śiva (addressing ‘amarāḥ’ and speaking of ‘my grace’ in Kāśīkhaṇḍa Liṅga praise)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī—praised Liṅga (adhyāya context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas (‘amarāḥ/surāḥ’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a Kāśī shrine, the curtain parts to reveal the liṅga; devotees’ eyes widen in reverent wonder; a radiant aura fills the sanctum, suggesting ‘aśvamedha-śata’ merit arising from mere sight.

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Aśvamedha (Hayamedha)
• Amarāḥ (Devas)
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Direct vision (darśana) of the sacred in Kāśī is exalted as surpassingly meritorious, equated with major Vedic sacrifices through divine grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, via the glorification of a particular Liṅga whose darśana grants exceptional merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana—going to see the Liṅga reverently; the verse frames it as a complete spiritual act yielding great puṇya.