Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

स्वयंभुवोस्य लिंगस्य मम विश्वेशितुः सुराः । राजसूयसहस्रस्य फलं स्यात्स्पर्शमात्रतः

Transliteration

svayaṃbhuvosya liṃgasya mama viśveśituḥ surāḥ | rājasūyasahasrasya phalaṃ syātsparśamātrataḥ

Translation

హే దేవులారా! నా—విశ్వేశ్వరుని—ఈ స్వయంభూ లింగాన్ని కేవలం స్పర్శించుట మాత్రముచేత సహస్ర రాజసూయ యాగఫలము లభించును।

Word by Word

• स्वयंभुवः: of the self-born
• स्वयंभुवः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वयंभू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘लिङ्गस्य’

• 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

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

• विश्वेशितुः: of (me) the Lord of the universe
• विश्वेशितुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व-ईशितृ (प्रातिपदिक; विश्व + ईशितृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘lord of the universe’

• सुराः: O gods
• सुराः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे (addressed)

• राजसूयसहस्रस्य: of a thousand Rājasūya (sacrifices)
• राजसूयसहस्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजसूय-सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक; राजसूय + सहस्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• फलम्: the fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्पर्शमात्रतः: merely from touch
• स्पर्शमात्रतः: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्पर्श-मात्र-तस् (प्रातिपदिक; स्पर्श + मात्र + तस्)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) ‘merely from touch’

Speaker

Śiva (self-identification as viśveśitṛ and the Kāśīkhaṇḍa Śaiva setting)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī—svayaṃbhū liṅga of Viśveśvara (as framed here)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas (‘surāḥ’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sanctum where the liṅga appears ancient and self-arisen from the earth; a devotee reaches out to touch the pedestal/stone with trembling reverence; above, cosmic imagery hints at ‘Viśveśitṛ’—lordship over worlds.

Characters & Entities

• Svayaṃbhu Liṅga
• Viśveśvara (implied by viśveśitṛ)
• Rājasūya
• Devas (surāḥ)
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Physical reverence (touch) toward the self-manifest divine symbol is celebrated as an exceptionally potent path of merit in Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, focusing on a svayaṃbhu (self-manifest) Liṅga associated with the Lord of the universe (Viśveśvara).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sparśa—devotional touching of the Liṅga (where permitted by custom and temple rule), extolled as granting vast yajña-equivalent merit.