Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

शब्दादि रूपिणी त्वं वै करणानुग्रहा त्वमु । ब्रह्मांडकर्त्री त्वं देवि ब्रह्मांडांतस्त्वमेव हि

Transliteration

śabdādi rūpiṇī tvaṃ vai karaṇānugrahā tvamu | brahmāṃḍakartrī tvaṃ devi brahmāṃḍāṃtastvameva hi

Translation

Du bist wahrlich die Gestalt von Klang und allem Übrigen, den Sinnesobjekten, und Du bist die gnädige Stütze der Werkzeuge von Wahrnehmung und Handlung. Du bist die Schöpferin des kosmischen Eies, o Göttin—und Du allein wohnst in ihm als seine innerste Wirklichkeit.

Word by Word

• शब्दादि: sound and the rest (śabda etc.)
• शब्दादि: Upapada (Qualifier base)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (शब्द-आदि = sound etc.)

• रूपिणी: having the form of
• रूपिणी: Predicate nominative (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूपिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Sambodhana/Pratipādya
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• करणानुग्रहा: the beneficence toward the instruments (senses/organs)
• करणानुग्रहा: Predicate nominative
• Type: Noun
• Root: करण + अनुग्रहा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (करणानाम् अनुग्रहा = grace/favor to the instruments/senses)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Sambodhana/Pratipādya
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति

• उ: (emphatic particle)
• उ: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उ (अव्यय)
• Form: पादपूरण/सम्बोधन-सहायक अव्यय (expletive particle)

• ब्रह्माण्डकर्त्री: creator of the universe (brahmāṇḍa)
• ब्रह्माण्डकर्त्री: Predicate nominative
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्माण्ड + कर्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्माण्डस्य कर्त्री)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Sambodhana/Pratipādya
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ब्रह्माण्डान्तः: the inner (within) of the universe
• ब्रह्माण्डान्तः: Predicate nominative
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्माण्ड + अन्तः (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्माण्डस्य अन्तः = the interior/within the universe)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Sambodhana/Pratipādya
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति

• एव: alone, indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (restrictive particle)

• हि: for, indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Reason/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये अव्यय (causal/emphatic particle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī stands within a translucent cosmic egg; from her mouth emanate waves of śabda as golden syllables; around her float the five sense-objects; the egg’s interior shows galaxies and beings, while her heart shines as the inmost reality sustaining all.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Śabda
• Karaṇas
• Brahmāṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess is both transcendent creator and immanent presence—pervading sense-objects, organs, and the whole cosmos.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The praise occurs within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s glorification of Kāśī, portraying its sanctity as rooted in Devī’s cosmic indwelling.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is directly stated; it is a stuti reinforcing devotion and metaphysical understanding.