Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा सर्वाणि लिंगानि विश्वेश प्रमुखानि च । स्नात्वा सर्वेषु कुंडेषु वापीकूटसरःसु च

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā sarvāṇi liṃgāni viśveśa pramukhāni ca | snātvā sarveṣu kuṃḍeṣu vāpīkūṭasaraḥsu ca

Translation

他瞻礼一切林伽，其中以维湿维湿为最胜；又在诸圣池、井、堤岸与湖泊中悉皆沐浴，

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Visheshana (Qualifier of लिंगानि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• लिंगानि: liṅgas (Śiva-emblems)
• लिंगानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन

• विश्वेश: O Viśveśa
• विश्वेश: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन (पाठानुसार)

• प्रमुखानि: foremost (headed by)
• प्रमुखानि: Visheshana (Qualifier of लिंगानि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘प्रमुख’ = chief/foremost

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

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• सर्वेषु: in all
• सर्वेषु: Visheshana (Qualifier of कुंडेषु)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• कुंडेषु: in the ponds
• कुंडेषु: Adhikarana (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• वापीकूटसरःसु: in wells, peaks (tanks/places), and lakes
• वापीकूटसरःसु: Adhikarana (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वापी + कूट + सरस् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (वापी- कूट- सरांसि)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśvara (foremost) and Kāśī-liṅga-saṅgraha; Kāśī kuṇḍas/vāpīs/sarases

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim proceeds through Kāśī’s lanes, offering flowers at many liṅga-shrines, culminating at Viśveśa; then he bathes successively in kuṇḍas, wells, and lakes, each marked by small shrines and steps.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśa (Viśvanātha)
• Śiva-liṅgas of Kāśī
• Kuṇḍas (sacred tanks) of Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī-yātrā is framed as a holistic pilgrimage: darśana of Śiva’s liṅgas and purifying snāna across tīrthas together mature devotion and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s network of liṅgas led by Viśveśa (Viśvanātha) and its many kuṇḍas, wells, and lakes revered as tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-darśana (visiting/seeing shrines) and tīrtha-snāna (ritual bathing) in the various kuṇḍas and water-bodies.