Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

द्रोणेशाद्वायु दिग्भागे वालखिल्येश्वरं परम् । तल्लिंगं श्रद्धया दृष्ट्वा सर्वक्रतुफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

droṇeśādvāyu digbhāge vālakhilyeśvaraṃ param | talliṃgaṃ śraddhayā dṛṣṭvā sarvakratuphalaṃ labhet

Translation

จากโฑรเณศะไปทางทิศแห่งวายุ มีลึงค์สูงสุดนาม “วาลขิลเยศวร” ผู้ใดได้เห็นลึงค์นั้นด้วยศรัทธา ย่อมได้ผลแห่งยัญพิธีทั้งปวง

Word by Word

• द्रोणेशात्: from Droṇeśa
• द्रोणेशात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोणेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादान (from)

• वायु: of the wind-direction (northwest)
• वायु: Visheshana (Directional qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; दिक्-विशेषणार्थे (directional qualifier), प्रथमा/सम्बोधन-रूपसदृश; अत्र ‘वायुदिग्’ इत्यर्थे

• दिक्: direction
• दिक्: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th) एकवचन (दिग्भागे इत्यत्र समासाङ्ग); दिक्-शब्दः

• भागे: in the region/quarter
• भागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (in the region)

• वालखिल्य: Vālakhilya (sages)
• वालखिल्य: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वालखिल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (name of sages)

• ईश्वरम्: Lord (Vālakhilyeśvara)
• ईश्वरम्: Karma (Apposition to liṅga/कर्म-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; लिङ्गस्य नाम

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (ईश्वरम्/लिङ्गम्)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; निर्देश (that)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (means)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having seen)

• सर्व: all
• सर्व: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद

• क्रतु: sacrifice/rite
• क्रतु: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्तरि

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vālakhilyeśvara-liṅga (Kāśī)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Ghaṭodbhava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene liṅga shrine in the airy Vāyu direction; subtle wind motifs—fluttering flags, swaying bilva leaves—while pilgrims gaze with faith and receive the invisible ‘kratu-phala’.

Characters & Entities

• Droṇeśa
• Vālakhilyeśvara
• Vāyu (directional deity)
• Śiva (as Liṅga)
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faith-filled darśana of Śiva in Kāśī can equal the merit of extensive Vedic sacrifices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vālakhilyeśvara Liṅga, located in the Vāyu-direction from Droṇeśa in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana with śraddhā (reverent seeing) is the emphasized act; no separate donation or vow is specified here.