Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

वेदयेद्यदिचात्मानं स एव परमेश्वरः । तदा विंदंति ब्रह्माद्याः स्वेच्छयैव न तं विदुः

Transliteration

vedayedyadicātmānaṃ sa eva parameśvaraḥ | tadā viṃdaṃti brahmādyāḥ svecchayaiva na taṃ viduḥ

Translation

إن عرف المرءُ الذاتَ حقًّا، فهو بعينه «باراميشڤارا». عندئذٍ فقط يجد براهما وسائرُ الآلهة تلك الحقيقة؛ أمّا بإرادتهم وحدها فلا يعرفونه.

Word by Word

• vedayet: should know / should make known
• vedayet: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (विद् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/benedictive), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); causative sense possible in context (वेदयेत् = ‘should make known/should know’)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/शर्तसूचक अव्यय (conditional particle)

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

• ātmānam: the Self
• ātmānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (आत्मन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (nominative/1st), एकवचन

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• parameśvaraḥ: the Supreme Lord
• parameśvaraḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parama + īśvara (परम + ईश्वर प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (परमः ईश्वरः)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• vindanti: they find / they know
• vindanti: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (विद् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (plural)

• brahmādyāḥ: Brahmā and others
• brahmādyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmā + ādi (ब्रह्मा + आदि प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (ब्रह्मा-आदयः = ‘Brahmā and others’)

• sva-icchayā: by (their) own will
• sva-icchayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva + icchā (स्व + इच्छा प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य इच्छा)

• eva: only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphasis)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• viduḥ: they know
• viduḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (विद् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇa interlocutor (as addressed in nearby verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative seeker in Kāśī realizes the Self as Parameśvara; in the background, Brahmā and devas appear humbled, ‘finding’ the truth only after inner awakening.

Characters & Entities

• Parameśvara (Śiva)
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True realization is inward—knowing the Self reveals the Supreme; mere status or effort without realization does not grant knowledge of Him.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the doctrinal setting; the teaching supports Kāśī’s role as a place of liberation through knowledge and grace.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is stated; the prescription is ātma-vedana—inner realization.