Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

सुमुखेशं महालिंगं सुमुखाख्यगणार्चितम् । पश्चिमाभिमुखं लिंगं दृष्ट्वा पापैः प्रमुच्यते

Transliteration

sumukheśaṃ mahāliṃgaṃ sumukhākhyagaṇārcitam | paścimābhimukhaṃ liṃgaṃ dṛṣṭvā pāpaiḥ pramucyate

Translation

Ang dakilang Liṅga na tinatawag na Sumukheśa—na sinasamba ng Gaṇa na si Sumukha—kapag nakita ang Liṅgang nakaharap sa kanluran, napapalaya ang tao sa mga kasalanan.

Word by Word

• सुमुखेशम्: Sumukheśa (Lord Sumukha)
• सुमुखेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुमुख-ईश (प्रातिपदिक; सुमुख + ईश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• महालिङ्गम्: the great liṅga
• महालिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• सुमुखाख्यगणार्चितम्: worshipped by the gaṇas called ‘Sumukha’
• सुमुखाख्यगणार्चितम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुमुख-आख्य-गण-अर्चित (प्रातिपदिक; सुमुख + आख्य + गण + अर्चित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) विशेषणम् (qualifying महालिङ्गम्)

• पश्चिमाभिमुखम्: west-facing
• पश्चिमाभिमुखम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पश्चिम-अभिमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying लिङ्गम्)

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

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (having seen)

• पापैः: from sins
• पापैः: Apadana (Separation sense/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; वियोग/हेतु (instrumental: from sins / by sins as cause)

• प्रमुच्यते: is completely freed
• प्रमुच्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda instructing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sumukheśa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand liṅga shrine where the liṅga faces west; the gaṇa Sumukha is depicted as an attendant worshipper, while pilgrims receive purification through mere sight.

Characters & Entities

• Sumukheśa
• Sumukha Gaṇa
• West-facing (paścimābhimukha) Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana of Śiva in Kāśī is itself a purifier; sacred orientation and place are presented as carriers of spiritual potency.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Sumukheśa Mahāliṅga in Kāśī, described as west-facing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (seeing) of the Sumukheśa Liṅga; the verse highlights the salvific power of sight in a sacred site.