Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

अविज्ञाय परं तत्त्वं किमेतत्प्रतिपाद्यते । अज्ञानं योगयुक्तस्य न चैतदुचितं तव

Transliteration

avijñāya paraṃ tattvaṃ kimetatpratipādyate | ajñānaṃ yogayuktasya na caitaducitaṃ tava

Translation

„Ohne die höchste Wirklichkeit erkannt zu haben, was willst du hier begründen? Unwissenheit ziemt sich nicht für den, der im Yoga verbunden ist — und dir steht dies erst recht nicht an.“

Word by Word

• अविज्ञाय: without knowing / having not known
• अविज्ञाय: Sambandha (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अ-वि-√ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘अविज्ञाय’ = having not known

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of तत्त्वम्)

• तत्त्वम्: truth/reality
• तत्त्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Interrogative object/predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थ

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; संकेतार्थ (this)

• प्रतिपाद्यते: is being propounded/explained
• प्रतिपाद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-√पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• अज्ञानम्: ignorance
• अज्ञानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• योगयुक्तस्य: of one engaged in yoga
• योगयुक्तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग + युक्त (प्रातिपदिक; √युज् + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘योगेन युक्तः’

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

• च: and/also
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/and; here = 'also'

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उचितम्: proper/fitting
• उचितम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उचित (प्रातिपदिक; √वच्/उच्? + क्त; 'proper')
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• तव: for you/of you
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

Kratu (addressing the prior speaker)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm, authoritative sage/deity points upward (para-tattva) while the proud speaker is shown slightly abashed; the atmosphere shifts from heat to clarity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True authority comes from realization of the supreme tattva; spiritual discipline (yoga) should culminate in knowledge, not ignorance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the teaching is embedded in Kāśī’s broader mahātmya narrative context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse emphasizes inner realization and fitness of speech for a yogin.