Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मं पदं यत्कवयो वदन्ति शैवं पदं यत्कवयो वदन्ति । क्षेत्रज्ञमीशं प्रवदन्ति चान्ये सांख्याश्च गायन्ति किलादिमोक्षम्

Transliteration

brāhmaṃ padaṃ yatkavayo vadanti śaivaṃ padaṃ yatkavayo vadanti | kṣetrajñamīśaṃ pravadanti cānye sāṃkhyāśca gāyanti kilādimokṣam

Translation

ما يسميه الشعراء «المقام البرهمي»، وما يسميه الشعراء «المقام الشيفي»—يعلنه آخرون ربًّا، عارفَ الحقل (كشيتراجنا)؛ وأهل السانكيا ينشدونه حقًّا بوصفه الخلاص الأوّل.

Word by Word

• brāhmam: Brahmic, pertaining to Brahman
• brāhmam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brāhma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (padaṃ इति विशेष्य)

• padam: state/position/word (here: spiritual state)
• padam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• yat: which
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yat (यद्-प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• kavayaḥ: poets/sages
• kavayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kavi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• vadanti: say
• vadanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vad (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• śaivam: Śaiva, pertaining to Śiva
• śaivam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (padaṃ इति विशेष्य)

• padam: state/position
• padam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• yat: which
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yat (यद्-प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• kavayaḥ: poets/sages
• kavayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kavi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• vadanti: say
• vadanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vad (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• kṣetrajñam: knower of the field (kṣetrajña)
• kṣetrajñam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक) + jña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्षेत्रस्य ज्ञः)

• īśam: the Lord
• īśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• pravadanti: declare/proclaim
• pravadanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+vad (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

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

• anye: others
• anye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• sāṃkhyāḥ: Sāṃkhyas (followers of Sāṃkhya)
• sāṃkhyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāṃkhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

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

• gāyanti: sing/chant
• gāyanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gai (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• kila: indeed/it is said
• kila: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kila (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), प्रसिद्ध्यर्थ/खल्वर्थ (indeed/it is said)

• ādi-mokṣam: the primal liberation / original mokṣa
• ādi-mokṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ādi (प्रातिपदिक) + mokṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः (आदिः मोक्षः / आद्यः मोक्षः)

Speaker

Unknown (narrative voice within Revā Khaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A single radiant summit labeled implicitly as the goal, approached by four groups: poets of Brahman, poets of Śiva, contemplatives pointing to the Kṣetrajña, and Sāṃkhyas singing of primal liberation—each holding distinct emblems yet converging on one light.

Characters & Entities

• Brahman
• Śaiva Pada
• Kṣetrajña
• Īśa
• Sāṃkhya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Different schools name the ultimate differently (Brāhma, Śaiva, Kṣetrajña-Īśa), yet it points to one supreme liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is specified; the verse is doctrinal within the Revā Khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is philosophical reconciliation of terms for mokṣa.