Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

प्रवर्तको हि जगतामहमेको निवर्तकः । नान्यो मदधिकः सत्यं कश्चित्कोपि सुरोत्तमाः

Transliteration

pravartako hi jagatāmahameko nivartakaḥ | nānyo madadhikaḥ satyaṃ kaścitkopi surottamāḥ

Translation

„Ich allein bin der Antreiber der Welten, und ich allein bin ihr Zurücknehmer. Wahrlich, o Bester der Götter, es gibt niemanden, der mir überlegen wäre.“

Word by Word

• प्रवर्तकः: the initiator/impeller
• प्रवर्तकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रवर्तक (प्रातिपदिक; √वृत्/वर्त् + ण्वुल्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/particle; अवधानार्थ/हेतौ (indeed/for)

• जगताम्: of the worlds
• जगताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• एकः: alone/one
• एकः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of अहम्)

• निवर्तकः: the withdrawer/terminator
• निवर्तकः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवर्तक (प्रातिपदिक; नि-√वृत्/वर्त् + ण्वुल्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध/negation particle

• अन्यः: another (person)
• अन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मत्: than me/of me
• मत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-समर्थ (genitive base) अव्ययवत्-प्रयोग; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• अधिकः: greater/superior
• अधिकः: Karta (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तुलनार्थ (comparative sense)

• सत्यम्: truly
• सत्यम्: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग/क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial accusative)

• कश्चित्: anyone/someone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (निपात)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अनिश्चित/indefinite pronoun

• कः: who (indeed)
• कः: Karta (Appositional/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थ/indefinite-emphatic in context

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; अपि = even/also (emphasis)

• सुरोत्तमाः: O best of gods
• सुरोत्तमाः: Karta (Vocative-like address intended; formally nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी/तत्पुरुषार्थे ‘सुराणाम् उत्तमाः’

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (context: a deity asserting supremacy; Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue frame traditionally Skanda narrating to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (typical Purāṇic frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine figure in a luminous aura declares cosmic sovereignty—one hand in abhaya, another indicating the cycle of creation and dissolution; attendants (devas) listen in awe and tension.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic power is claimed as singular and supreme—creation and withdrawal are presented as functions of one highest principle.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī setting, but this particular line is philosophical and does not name a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is doctrinal, asserting supremacy rather than prescribing vrata, dāna, snāna, or japa.