Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

समाधेः परतो ज्योतिरनंतं स्वप्रकाशकम् । तस्मिन्दृष्टे क्रियाकांडं यातायातं निवर्तते

Transliteration

samādheḥ parato jyotiranaṃtaṃ svaprakāśakam | tasmindṛṣṭe kriyākāṃḍaṃ yātāyātaṃ nivartate

Translation

Jenseits von Samādhi ist ein unendliches, aus sich selbst leuchtendes Licht. Wenn Das geschaut wird, enden rituelles Handeln und der Kreislauf von Kommen und Gehen (Wiedergeburt).

Word by Word

• समाधेः: of samādhi (meditative absorption)
• समाधेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समाधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive); एकवचन

• परतः: beyond; higher than
• परतः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परतस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गार्थक/अव्यय (adverbial: 'beyond/after')

• ज्योतिः: light; radiance
• ज्योतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• अनन्तम्: endless; infinite
• अनन्तम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ज्योतिः)

• स्वप्रकाशकम्: self-luminous
• स्वप्रकाशकम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व + प्रकाशक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (self-illuminating) विशेषण (qualifying ज्योतिः)

• तस्मिन्: in that (state/thing)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative); एकवचन

• दृष्टे: when (that) is seen
• दृष्टे: Adhikarana (Sati-saptami/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative); एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; भावे/सति-सप्तमी (when it is seen)

• क्रियाकाण्डम्: the ritualistic section (of actions)
• क्रियाकाण्डम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया + काण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्राय तत्पुरुष (section of ritual action)

• यातायातम्: coming and going; transmigration
• यातायातम्: Karta (Apposition to subject/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात + आयात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (going and coming)

• निवर्तते: ceases; turns back
• निवर्तते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (typal)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin seated in deep meditation on the ghāṭs of Kāśī; behind the closed eyes a boundless, self-radiant orb of light expands, while ritual implements (ladles, vessels, fire-altar) fade into stillness; the river flows quietly, symbolizing saṃsāra stilled.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Jyotis
• Samādhi
• Mokṣa
• Saṃsāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Realization of the self-luminous Absolute ends rebirth and renders ritual action secondary to direct knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the broader sacral context often associated with liberation; this verse stresses the liberating vision itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; instead, it states that upon realization, dependence on kriyākāṇḍa falls away.