Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 230

Devanagari script

अंगुष्ठमात्रः पुरुषस्त्वंगुष्ठं च समाश्रितः । ईशः सर्वस्य जगतः प्रभुः प्रीणाति विश्वभुक्

Transliteration

aṃguṣṭhamātraḥ puruṣastvaṃguṣṭhaṃ ca samāśritaḥ | īśaḥ sarvasya jagataḥ prabhuḥ prīṇāti viśvabhuk

Translation

Der Herr—der Puruṣa, von Daumenmaß und im Daumen wohnend—der Lenker des ganzen Weltalls, Meister und Erhalter aller, wird durch solches Gedenken und Üben erfreut.

Word by Word

• अङ्गुष्ठमात्रः: of thumb-measure (thumb-sized)
• अङ्गुष्ठमात्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अङ्गुष्ठ + मात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (अङ्गुष्ठस्य मात्रा इव)

• पुरुषः: the Person (Puruṣa)
• पुरुषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• अङ्गुष्ठम्: the thumb
• अङ्गुष्ठम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

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

• समाश्रितः: having resorted to / abiding in
• समाश्रितः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + श्रि (धातु) → समाश्रित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थः

• ईशः: the Lord
• ईशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सर्वस्य: of all
• सर्वस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• जगतः: of the world
• जगतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• प्रभुः: the master
• प्रभुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रीणाति: pleases/satisfies
• प्रीणाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रीण् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• विश्वभुक्: the eater/enjoyer of the universe
• विश्वभुक्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व + भुज् (धातु/प्रातिपदिक-निर्माण) → विश्वभुक् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (विश्वं भुङ्क्ते इति)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual, Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kumbhaja (Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin-pilgrim in Kāśī sits near a ghat at dusk, eyes half-closed, contemplating a luminous subtle Puruṣa within, while the vast cosmos is hinted in the background—showing the paradox of the tiny indweller who sustains all.

Characters & Entities

• Puruṣa
• Īśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contemplate the indwelling Lord (Puruṣa/Īśa); such inward remembrance and discipline pleases the sustainer of the universe.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where daily conduct and worship are taught as especially fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single external rite is specified here; the emphasis is on devotional recollection/meditation that pleases the Lord.