Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

येषां स्मरणतोप्यत्र भवेत्पापस्य संक्षयः । दर्शनस्पर्शनाभ्यां च स्यातां स्वर्गापवर्गकौ

Transliteration

yeṣāṃ smaraṇatopyatra bhavetpāpasya saṃkṣayaḥ | darśanasparśanābhyāṃ ca syātāṃ svargāpavargakau

Translation

ان (لِنگوں) کا یہاں محض سمرن بھی گناہوں کا زوال کر دیتا ہے؛ اور ان کے درشن اور سپرش سے سوَرگ اور اَپَوَرگ—یعنی آخری موکش—دونوں حاصل ہوتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• येषाम्: of whom/whose
• येषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• स्मरणतः: from remembering, by remembrance
• स्मरणतः: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे (ablative of cause)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• भवेत्: would occur, may happen
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पापस्य: of sin
• पापस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• संक्षयः: destruction, diminution
• संक्षयः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• दर्शन-स्पर्शनाभ्याम्: by seeing and touching
• दर्शन-स्पर्शनाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक) + स्पर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (दर्शनं च स्पर्शनं च)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Avyaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• स्याताम्: may be (two things)
• स्याताम्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्वर्ग-अपवर्गौ: heaven and liberation
• स्वर्ग-अपवर्गौ: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + अपवर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī) (describing desired liṅgas’ fruits)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Eminent Kāśī liṅgas (nitya-sannidhi set referenced)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Three panels: (1) a devotee in distant land remembering a Kāśī-liṅga, dark stains (sins) fading; (2) the same devotee beholding the liṅga in Kāśī; (3) gentle touch at the shrine threshold, with two paths symbolized—svarga (celestial ascent) and apavarga (liberation light).

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Liṅga
• Svarga
• Apavarga (mokṣa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contact with the sacred—through memory, vision, and touch—purifies and elevates, culminating in liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, particularly its liṅgas whose remembrance and darśana are said to grant pāpa-kṣaya and mokṣa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Acts implied are smaraṇa (remembrance), darśana (pilgrimage viewing), and sparśa (reverent touch) of the sacred liṅgas.