Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

इत्यादि पापशीलोपि मुक्त्वैकं शिवनिंदकम । पापान्निष्कृतिमाप्नोति नत्वा लिंगं त्रिलोचनम्

Transliteration

ityādi pāpaśīlopi muktvaikaṃ śivaniṃdakama | pāpānniṣkṛtimāpnoti natvā liṃgaṃ trilocanam

Translation

แม้ผู้ที่เคยชินกับบาปเช่นนั้น—หากละเพียงสิ่งเดียว คือการหมิ่นพระศิวะ—ก็ย่อมได้ความพ้นบาป ด้วยการนอบน้อมต่อศิวลึงค์ของพระผู้มีเนตรสามประการ

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक-निपात (quotative particle)

• आदि: and the like
• आदि: Sambandha (Apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'etc.' अर्थे (used as 'and so on')

• पापशीलः: of sinful conduct
• पापशीलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + शील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (पापं शीलं यस्य/पापशीलः = of sinful nature)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपात

• मुक्त्वा: having abandoned
• मुक्त्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verbal/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मुच् (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): 'having abandoned'

• एकम्: one (single)
• एकम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• शिवनिंदकम्: a reviler of Śiva
• शिवनिंदकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + निंदक (प्रातिपदिक; √निन्द् + ण्वुल्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य निंदकः)

• पापात्: from sin
• पापात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• निष्कृतिम्: expiation
• निष्कृतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्कृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• नत्वा: having bowed to
• नत्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verbal/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नम् (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): 'having bowed'

• लिंगम्: the liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिंगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• त्रिलोचनम्: the three-eyed (Śiva)
• त्रिलोचनम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-प्रायः विशेषण (त्रीणि लोचनानि यस्य = three-eyed) — here used adjectivally for Śiva

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Trilocana-liṅga (Kāśī)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A remorseful sinner bows with folded hands before a radiant Śiva-liṅga of Trilocana; the atmosphere shifts from darkness to clarity, suggesting sins falling away like soot washed by light.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Liṅga
• Trilocana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liṅga-veneration and restraint of speech—especially avoiding Śiva-nindā—are presented as crucial for purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, where worship of the liṅga of Viśveśvara/Śiva is central to kṣetra-mahātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Naman (bowing) to Śiva’s liṅga (liṅga-vandana) is explicitly stated as a means of niṣkṛti.