Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

अश्वमेधादिभिर्यागैर्न तत्फलमवाप्यते । यत्फलं लभ्यते मर्त्यैर्नित्यं लिंगप्रपूजनात्

Transliteration

aśvamedhādibhiryāgairna tatphalamavāpyate | yatphalaṃ labhyate martyairnityaṃ liṃgaprapūjanāt

Translation

اشومیدھ وغیرہ جیسے یَگّیوں سے بھی وہ پھل حاصل نہیں ہوتا؛ جو پھل فانی انسان لِنگ کی نِتّ اور خلوصِ دل سے کی گئی پوجا سے پاتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• aśvamedha-ādibhiḥ: by Aśvamedha and other (rites)
• aśvamedha-ādibhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśvamedha (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (आदि-शब्देन समाहारः: 'अश्वमेधादयः')

• yāgaiḥ: by sacrifices
• yāgaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Discourse/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• tat-phalam: that result
• tat-phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—'तत् एव फलम्'

• avāpyate: is attained
• avāpyate: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-√āp (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive)

• yat-phalam: which fruit/result
• yat-phalam: Sambandha (Relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—'यत् फलम्' (relative)

• labhyate: is obtained
• labhyate: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √labh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive)

• martyaiḥ: by mortals
• martyaiḥ: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: martya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• nityam: always
• nityam: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययभावे द्वितीया-एकवचन (adverbial accusative): 'नित्यं' = always

• liṅga-prapūjanāt: from thorough worship of the liṅga
• liṅga-prapūjanāt: Apadana (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + prapūjana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लिङ्गस्य प्रपूजनात्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī / Viśveśvara (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contrast tableau: a grand Aśvamedha arena with priests and a horse fades behind a foreground devotee performing daily liṅga-arcana with lamp and bilva, indicating higher fruit in humble constancy.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvamedha
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady daily devotion is valued above spectacular ritual grandeur; constancy in worship brings the highest fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred landscape where Śiva-liṅga worship is especially extolled.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice ‘nityaṃ liṅga-prapūjanam’—regular, devoted worship of the Śiva-liṅga.