Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानगम्यं ज्ञात्वा च परिगीयते । कथं केन च ज्ञातव्यं किं तद्वक्तुं विवक्षितम्

Transliteration

jñānaṃ jñeyaṃ jñānagamyaṃ jñātvā ca parigīyate | kathaṃ kena ca jñātavyaṃ kiṃ tadvaktuṃ vivakṣitam

Translation

Wissen, das Erkennbare und das, was durch Wissen erreicht wird, werden nach der Verwirklichung gepriesen. Doch wie und durch welches Mittel ist es zu erkennen—was genau soll darüber gelehrt werden?

Word by Word

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ज्ञेयम्: knowable
• ज्ञेयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be known’

• ज्ञानगम्यम्: attainable through knowledge
• ज्ञानगम्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + गम्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (ज्ञानेन गम्यम् = attainable through knowledge)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

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

• परिगीयते: is sung/celebrated
• परिगीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), आत्मनेपद; उपसर्ग ‘परि-’

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• केन: by whom/with what
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental)

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

• ज्ञातव्यम्: is to be known
• ज्ञातव्यम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Gerundive/Obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be known’

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देश (demonstrative)

• वक्तुम्: to say
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), अव्यय-स्वरूप

• विवक्षितम्: is intended
• विवक्षितम्: Kriya (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विवक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘intended to be said’

Speaker

Śaṃkara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic moment: the listener’s earnest questioning is visible; Śiva’s gesture indicates he will define means and goal; symbolic triad (lamp, mirror, path) can represent jñāna-jñeya-jñāna-gamya.

Characters & Entities

• Jñāna
• Jñeya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames the core inquiry: what is knowledge, what is to be known, and what method leads to realization.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Kedāra context remains, but the verse is methodological/philosophical rather than a tirtha-stuti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is stated; the emphasis is on right inquiry into the means of knowing.