Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

एकदा तस्य लिंगस्य कृत्वा पंचापिपूजनम् । नृत्यतः सहुडुत्कारं तस्मिंल्लिंगे लयं ययुः

Transliteration

ekadā tasya liṃgasya kṛtvā paṃcāpipūjanam | nṛtyataḥ sahuḍutkāraṃ tasmiṃlliṃge layaṃ yayuḥ

Translation

ایک بار اُس لِنگ کی پانچ گونہ پوجا کر کے، ‘ہُڈُو!’ کی صدا کے ساتھ رقصاں ہوئے اور اسی لِنگ میں لَی ہو گئے۔

Word by Word

• एकदा: once
• एकदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (pronoun)

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययभाव-क्त्वान्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having done’

• पञ्चापि: five (also/indeed)
• पञ्चापि: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-युक्त संख्या-प्रयोगः; ‘even five/also five’ (here: ‘fivefold’)

• पूजनम्: worship
• पूजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नृत्यतः: while (they were) dancing
• नृत्यतः: Sambandha (Genitive absolute-like/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नृत् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present participle, शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘while dancing/of one dancing’

• सह: with
• सह: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहकारक-अव्यय (with)

• उडुत्कारम्: a loud exclamation/uproar
• उडुत्कारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उडु + उत्कार (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (uḍu- ‘drum/cry?’ + utkāra ‘loud shout/uproar’); here: ‘with loud exclamation’

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लिङ्गे: in the liṅga
• लिङ्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लयम्: dissolution, absorption
• लयम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ययुः: went, attained
• ययुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Oṃkāra-liṅga (Varaṇā-taṭa, Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Damana

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After fivefold worship, four siddhas dance in a circle around the liṅga, arms raised, mouths uttering ‘huḍu’; a luminous vortex draws them into the liṅga, symbolizing merger.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Oṃkāra-liṅga
• Pāśupata devotees

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Intense, devoted worship culminates in laya—complete absorption in Śiva—showing the highest fruit of Kāśī’s liṅga-upāsanā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Oṃkāra-liṅga in Kāśī, presented as a locus of transformative worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Fivefold worship (pañca-pūjanam) of the liṅga; the verse also notes devotional dancing and sacred acclamation.