Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 120

Devanagari script

अप्येकं यो महारुद्रं जपेद्वीरेश सन्निधौ । जापयेद्वा भवेत्तस्य कोटिरुद्रफलं ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

apyekaṃ yo mahārudraṃ japedvīreśa sannidhau | jāpayedvā bhavettasya koṭirudraphalaṃ dhruvam

Translation

جو کوئی وِیرِیش کے حضور مہارُدر منتر ایک بار بھی جپ لے، یا دوسروں سے جپ کروا دے، اس کے لیے یقیناً کوٹی رُدر (کروڑ بار رُدر-جپ) کے برابر پھل حاصل ہوتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), अर्थेऽपि/अपि = even/also

• ekam: one (single)
• ekam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• mahārudram: Mahārudra (great Rudra)
• mahārudram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महान् रुद्रः)

• japet: should recite
• japet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jap (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• vīreśa: O Vīreśa
• vīreśa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīra + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समास (वीराणाम् ईशः); सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• sannidhau: in the presence
• sannidhau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sannidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• jāpayet: should cause (someone) to recite
• jāpayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jap (धातु, णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच् (causative)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• bhavet: would be / should become
• bhavet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• tasya: of him/for him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• koṭirudraphalam: the fruit equal to (the japa of) Koṭirudra
• koṭirudraphalam: Karta (Predicate nominative/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: koṭi + rudra + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता/प्रत्यय), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कोटिरुद्रस्य फलम्)

• dhruvam: certainly/firmly
• dhruvam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vīreśa-sannidhi (Kāśī)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands before the Vīreśa liṅga on the Gaṅgā-side, hands in añjali, softly reciting Mahārudra; nearby, learned brāhmaṇas chant on behalf of donors, with lamps and bilva leaves offered.

Characters & Entities

• Mahārudra
• Vīreśa
• Rudra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, devotion performed with faith at a praised shrine is amplified; even a small act of japa near Vīreśa yields vast merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The presence (sannidhi) of Vīreśa in Kāśī is praised as a powerful locus for Rudra-oriented practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa of the Mahārudra (personally) or arranging japa through others (jāpana), promising Koṭi-Rudra-equivalent fruit.