Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

धर्मेशात्पूर्वदिग्भागे वैराग्येशं समर्चयेत् । निवृत्तिश्चेतसस्तस्य लिंगस्य स्पर्शनादपि

Transliteration

dharmeśātpūrvadigbhāge vairāgyeśaṃ samarcayet | nivṛttiścetasastasya liṃgasya sparśanādapi

Translation

自达摩主（Dharmeśa）向东，应礼拜离欲主（Vairāgyeśa）。即便仅以手触其林伽，心亦生退转（nivṛtti），离开世缠，趋向出离与内在摄持。

Word by Word

• धर्मेशात्: from Dharmēśa
• धर्मेशात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मेश (प्रातिपदिक; धर्म + ईश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• पूर्वदिग्भागे: in the eastern quarter/portion
• पूर्वदिग्भागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व-दिक्-भाग (प्रातिपदिक; पूर्व + दिक् + भाग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• वैराग्येशम्: Vairāgyeśa
• वैराग्येशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैराग्येश (प्रातिपदिक; वैराग्य + ईश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• समर्चयेत्: should worship
• समर्चयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• निवृत्तिः: cessation/withdrawal
• निवृत्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक; नि + √वृत् (धातु) + क्तिन्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• चेतसः: of the mind
• चेतसः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• स्पर्शनात्: from touching
• स्पर्शनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्शन (प्रातिपदिक; √स्पृश् (धातु) + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vairāgyeśa-liṅga (east of Dharmeśa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kumbhaja (Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An eastern lane bathed in morning light; a devotee gently touches the Vairāgyeśa-liṅga, and behind them worldly symbols (coins, garlands of status, courtly paraphernalia) fade into translucence; the devotee’s gaze turns inward.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmeśa
• Vairāgyeśa
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contact with sacred Śaiva presence in Kāśī can redirect the mind from craving to nivṛtti (inward withdrawal) and vairāgya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vairāgyeśa liṅga, placed in the eastern sector relative to Dharmeśa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sam-arcana (worship) of Vairāgyeśa; additionally, sparśa (touch) itself is stated to yield a fruit.