Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

नैरृत्यां चाट्टहासस्य वृद्धवासिष्ठसंज्ञकम् । लिंगं तत्पूजनात्पुंसां ज्ञानमुत्पद्यते महत्

Transliteration

nairṛtyāṃ cāṭṭahāsasya vṛddhavāsiṣṭhasaṃjñakam | liṃgaṃ tatpūjanātpuṃsāṃ jñānamutpadyate mahat

Translation

Và về phía tây nam của Aṭṭahāsa là linhga mang danh Vṛddha‑Vāsiṣṭha. Do thờ phụng linhga ấy, nơi người ta phát sinh tri kiến tâm linh lớn lao.

Word by Word

• nairṛtyām: in the southwest
• nairṛtyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nairṛtī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — locative singular; दिशावाचक-शब्दः

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• aṭṭahāsasya: of Aṭṭahāsa
• aṭṭahāsasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṭṭahāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — genitive singular

• vṛddhavāsiṣṭha-saṃjñakam: having the designation ‘Vṛddha-Vāsiṣṭha’
• vṛddhavāsiṣṭha-saṃjñakam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vṛddha + vāsiṣṭha + saṃjñaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular; विशेषणम्

• liṅgam: the liṅga
• liṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular

• tat-pūjanāt: from worship of that (liṅga)
• tat-pūjanāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat + pūjana (प्रातिपदिक; √pūj पूज्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन — ablative singular; हेत्वर्थः (cause)

• puṃsām: of men / for people
• puṃsām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pumān (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — genitive plural

• jñānam: knowledge
• jñānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular

• utpadyate: arises
• utpadyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pad (पद्) + ut (उत्)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; ‘arises/comes forth’

• mahat: great
• mahat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular; विशेषणम् (jñānam)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vṛddha-Vāsiṣṭha-liṅga (southwest of Aṭṭahāsa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet southwest shrine near Aṭṭahāsa; the liṅga bears a simple garland; a sage-like atmosphere—palm-leaf manuscripts, seated devotee in contemplation—suggests jñāna arising from worship.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Aṭṭahāsa-liṅga
• Vṛddha-Vāsiṣṭha-liṅga
• Jñāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, devotion is not only for worldly welfare but also for jñāna—worship is presented as a direct cause of awakening.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vṛddha-Vāsiṣṭha-liṅga, placed in the southwest direction relative to Aṭṭahāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā (worship) of Vṛddha-Vāsiṣṭha-liṅga is prescribed implicitly for the attainment of great knowledge.