Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

नियंता सर्वभूतानां य एकःकारणं परम् । अनामा गोत्ररहितो रूपादि परिवर्जितः

Transliteration

niyaṃtā sarvabhūtānāṃ ya ekaḥkāraṇaṃ param | anāmā gotrarahito rūpādi parivarjitaḥ

Translation

„Er ist die eine höchste Ursache und der Lenker aller Wesen: namenlos, ohne Geschlecht und Herkunft, jenseits von Gestalt und allen dergleichen Merkmalen.“

Word by Word

• niyaṃtā: controller
• niyaṃtā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ni-yantr (नि-यन्त्र्/यम् धातु; नियन्तृ-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तृच्-प्रत्ययान्त (agent noun)

• sarva-bhūtānām: of all beings
• sarva-bhūtānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva-bhūta (सर्व + भूत प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• ekaḥ: one/unique
• ekaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (एक प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• kāraṇam: cause
• kāraṇam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (कारण प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• param: supreme
• param: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (पर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण (to kāraṇam)

• anāmā: nameless
• anāmā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-nāman (नामन् प्रातिपदिक; नञ्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नञ्-समासार्थ (name-less)

• gotra-rahitaḥ: devoid of lineage/clan
• gotra-rahitaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gotra-rahita (गोत्र + रहित प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास

• rūpa-ādi: form and the like
• rūpa-ādi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa-ādi (रूप + आदि प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (ādi = etc.)

• parivarjitaḥ: devoid of / excluded from
• parivarjitaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pari-varj (परि-वर्ज् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

Speaker

Gaṇas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija/brāhmaṇa inquirer

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teaching scene where the gaṇas point beyond iconography: behind them, a faint liṅga or cosmic void motif suggests the attributeless Supreme as the hidden ruler.

Characters & Entities

• Supreme Cause (Paramakāraṇa)
• Īśvara (implied controller)
• Nirguṇa Brahman (concept)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest reality is beyond social identity and sensory attributes—one supreme controller and cause of all.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s praise of Kāśī as a seat of liberating knowledge.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal definition of the Supreme.