Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

वेदवेदार्थतत्त्वज्ञः कलासु कुशलोऽमलः । पारदृश्वा तु सर्वेषां शास्त्राणां नीतिवित्तमः

Transliteration

vedavedārthatattvajñaḥ kalāsu kuśalo'malaḥ | pāradṛśvā tu sarveṣāṃ śāstrāṇāṃ nītivittamaḥ

Translation

He knew the essence of the Vedas and the truth of their meanings; spotless, he was skilled in the arts. Having thoroughly penetrated all the śāstras, he was foremost in understanding dharma and the principles of right governance.

Word by Word

• वेदवेदार्थतत्त्वज्ञः: knower of the truth of the Veda and its meaning
• वेदवेदार्थतत्त्वज्ञः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद + वेदार्थ + तत्त्व + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः—‘वेदस्य वेदार्थस्य च तत्त्वं जानाति’

• कलासु: in the arts
• कलासु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कुशलः: skilled
• कुशलः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुशल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अमलः: spotless/pure
• अमलः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पारदृश्वा: far-seeing, discerning
• पारदृश्वा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पारदृश्वन्/पारदृश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (one who sees through/foresees)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक-प्रयोग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• शास्त्राणाम्: of the treatises/scriptures
• शास्त्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• नीतिवित्तमः: best in ethics/statecraft
• नीतिवित्तमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नीति + वित्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘नीतौ वित्तमः/श्रेष्ठः’ (best in polity/ethics)

Speaker

Śiva’s Gaṇas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (learning and dharma nexus)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Āṅgirasa depicted as a learned sage: manuscripts, vīṇā or art-tools symbolizing kalā, and a composed expression indicating śāstra-viveka; background hints of Kāśī’s scholastic-ritual milieu.

Characters & Entities

• Āṅgirasa
• Vedas
• Śāstras
• Nīti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity and mastery of scripture culminate in lived ethics (nīti), not mere learning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None in this verse; it continues the saintly profile within the Kāśī narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.