Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

संसेव्य परमं ज्ञानं लभेदद्यापि साधकः । अघोरेशो गुहाद्वारि कूपस्तस्योत्तरे शुभः

Transliteration

saṃsevya paramaṃ jñānaṃ labhedadyāpi sādhakaḥ | aghoreśo guhādvāri kūpastasyottare śubhaḥ

Translation

Sa taimtim na paglapit at debosyon dito, ang isang sādhaka ay nakakamit, maging sa panahong ito, ang pinakamataas na kaalaman. Sa bungad ng yungib naroon ang liṅga na Aghoreśa; sa hilaga nito ay may isang mapalad na balon.

Word by Word

• संसेव्य: having served/resorted to
• संसेव्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-सेव् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव-रूप (gerund/absolutive): 'having served/after resorting to'

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ज्ञानम्)

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• लभेत्: may obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अद्यापि: even today / still
• अद्यापि: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्यापि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: 'even today/still now')

• साधकः: a practitioner/seeker
• साधकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अघोरेशः: Aghoreśa (name of Śiva/linga)
• अघोरेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघोर-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अघोरस्य ईशः)

• गुहाद्वारि: at the cave-entrance
• गुहाद्वारि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुहा-द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (गुहायाः द्वारम्)

• कूपः: a well
• कूपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तस्य: of it/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• उत्तरे: to the north of / above
• उत्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; (locative: 'to the north/above')

• शुभः: auspicious
• शुभः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying कूपः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aghoreśa at Guhā-dvāra; auspicious Kūpa (north)

Type: cave

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dim cave entrance in Kāśī with a small Aghoreśa liṅga at the threshold; a sādhaka sits in meditation, lamp-light flickering on stone; to the north, a clean circular well reflects the sky like a mirror of consciousness.

Characters & Entities

• Aghoreśa
• guhā-dvāra (cave entrance)
• kūpa (well)
• parama-jñāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sacred sites remain spiritually ‘active’; sincere practice and service there can yield supreme knowledge even in the present age.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Aghoreśa liṅga at the cave entrance near Kapileśvara, and an auspicious well to its north.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Saṃseva (devoted resorting/service) is prescribed as the means to attain parama-jñāna; the presence of the well suggests tīrtha-use (water rites) though not explicitly stated.