Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

हरस्य वृषभेणैव स्थापितं तत्स्वभक्तितः । तस्य दर्शनतः पुंसां षण्मासान्मुक्तिरुद्भवेत्

Transliteration

harasya vṛṣabheṇaiva sthāpitaṃ tatsvabhaktitaḥ | tasya darśanataḥ puṃsāṃ ṣaṇmāsānmuktirudbhavet

Translation

ศาลนั้นสถาปนาโดยโคพาหนะของพระหระเอง คือ นันทิ ด้วยความภักดีอันบริสุทธิ์ เพียงได้เห็นเป็นทิพยทัศน์ ก็ยังให้โมกษะแก่ชนภายในหกเดือน

Word by Word

• हरस्य: of Hara (Śiva)
• हरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्

• वृषभेण: by Vṛṣabha (Nandin)
• वृषभेण: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्ययम् (particle: only/indeed)

• स्थापितम्: was established
• स्थापितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् → स्थापय + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगः

• तत्: that (liṅga)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; निर्देश्य-रूपम्

• स्व-भक्तितः: out of his own devotion
• स्व-भक्तितः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिके ‘भक्ति’, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम्; हेत्वर्थे (cause)

• तस्य: of it/of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक/पुंलिङ्ग-समर्थे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-रूपम्

• दर्शनतः: from seeing (it)
• दर्शनतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम्; हेत्वर्थे (from/through seeing)

• पुंसाम्: of men/people
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस्/पुम्स् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), बहुवचनम्

• षण्मासान्: six months
• षण्मासान्: Karma (Extent of time/कालपरिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण् (संख्या) + मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचनम्; कालपरिमाणम् (duration)

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• उद्भवेत्: would arise/occur
• उद्भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration, typically to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vṛṣabheśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandin, radiant and reverent, installs a great liṅga for Hara; in the present frame, devotees stand before the towering Vṛṣabheśvara liṅga, a calm aura suggesting imminent liberation, with a subtle six-month lunar cycle motif in the border.

Characters & Entities

• Hara (Śiva)
• Vṛṣabha (Nandin)
• Vṛṣabheśvara (implied)
• Mukti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, even simple darśana of a consecrated Śiva-liṅga is exalted as a swift path toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vṛṣabheśvara Mahāliṅga, said to be established by Śiva’s bull (Nandin) and famed for bestowing mukti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (reverent viewing) of the liṅga is presented as efficacious; no additional rite is mandated in this verse.