Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

मनोरथपथातीतं यच्च वाचामगोचरम् । गोचरो गोचरीकुर्यात्तत्पदं क्षणतो मृडः

Transliteration

manorathapathātītaṃ yacca vācāmagocaram | gocaro gocarīkuryāttatpadaṃ kṣaṇato mṛḍaḥ

Translation

Jenen Zustand, der die Pfade des Begehrens übersteigt und den Worten unzugänglich ist, macht Mṛḍa, der Barmherzige, in einem Augenblick unmittelbar erfahrbar.

Word by Word

• मनोरथपथातीतम्: beyond the path/range of imagination
• मनोरथपथातीतम्: Karma (Object-Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनोरथपथातीत (प्रातिपदिक; मनोरथ + पथ + अतीत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (‘मनोरथस्य पथः’ + ‘अतीत’=past); विशेषणम् (तत्पदस्य)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Correlative object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वाचाम्: of words/speech
• वाचाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• अगोचरम्: not within reach (of speech)
• अगोचरम्: Karma (Object-Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अगोचर (प्रातिपदिक; अ + गोचर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (यत्/तत्पदस्य)

• गोचरः: an object within reach; perceptible object
• गोचरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गोचरीकुर्यात्: should make (it) an object of perception
• गोचरीकुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गोचरीकृ (धातु; गोचरी + कृ)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तत्पदम्: that state/position
• तत्पदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्पद (प्रातिपदिक; तत् + पद)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (‘तस्य पदम्’ = that state/position)

• क्षणतः: in an instant
• क्षणतः: Adverbial (Time/कालाधिकरण-भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/अवधि-अर्थे), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः ‘in a moment’

• मृडः: Mṛḍa (Śiva)
• मृडः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An abstract-devotional scene: Mṛḍa (Śiva) radiating calm light; a seeker’s mind-waves and desire-paths dissolve; the ‘ineffable state’ shown as a luminous void/lotus of pure consciousness becoming near and tangible.

Characters & Entities

• Mṛḍa (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest, ineffable goal is ultimately reached by Śiva’s grace, which can make it immediate and experiential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa setting points to Kāśī as the place where Śiva’s liberating grace is celebrated as swift and direct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the focus is on Śiva’s grace granting the supreme state.