Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

विकट द्विजसंज्ञस्य गणेशस्य समीपतः । दृष्ट्वा सूक्ष्मेश्वरं लिंगं गतिं सूक्ष्मामवाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

vikaṭa dvijasaṃjñasya gaṇeśasya samīpataḥ | dṛṣṭvā sūkṣmeśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ gatiṃ sūkṣmāmavāpnuyāt

Translation

ใกล้พระคเณศผู้มีนามว่า วิกฏะ (และเรียกว่า ทวิชะ) ผู้ใดได้เห็นลึงค์ของสูักษเมศวร ผู้นั้นย่อมบรรลุคติอันละเอียดและสูงส่ง คือปลายทางจิตวิญญาณอันประณีต

Word by Word

• विकट: Vikaṭa (name)
• विकट: Samjna (Name/संज्ञा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विकट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र स्थान/तीर्थ-नामरूपेण (सम्बोधन/शीर्षकवत्)

• द्विजसंज्ञस्य: of (one) named ‘Dvija’
• द्विजसंज्ञस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्विजसंज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—द्विज + संज्ञ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• गणेशस्य: of Gaṇeśa
• गणेशस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—गण + ईश (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• समीपतः: near, in the vicinity
• समीपतः: Adverbial (स्थान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘समीपतः’ = समीपात्/समीपे

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्यय-भाव), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• सूक्ष्मेश्वरम्: Sūkṣmeśvara
• सूक्ष्मेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूक्ष्मेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—सूक्ष्म + ईश्वर (कर्मधारयः)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गतिम्: course, state, liberation
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सूक्ष्माम्: subtle
• सूक्ष्माम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूक्ष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘गतिम्’

• अवाप्नुयात्: may attain
• अवाप्नुयात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव+आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sūkṣmeśvara (near Vikaṭa/Dvija Gaṇeśa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands between a Gaṇeśa shrine (Vikaṭa/Dvija) and the Sūkṣmeśvara liṅga; the air feels ‘subtle’—thin rays, incense smoke, and a sense of upward, refined movement symbolizing sūkṣmā gati.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇeśa (Vikaṭa/Dvija)
• Sūkṣmeśvara
• Śiva
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even simple darśana (sacred viewing) in Kāśī—especially near Gaṇeśa and Śiva-liṅgas—is said to elevate one’s spiritual trajectory.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Sūkṣmeśvara Liṅga, located near a Gaṇeśa shrine identified as Vikaṭa/Dvija.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana—seeing/visiting Sūkṣmeśvara; no further rite is explicitly stated.