Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

देवा ऊचुः । नमो हिरण्यरूपाय ब्रह्मणे ब्रह्मरूपिणे । अविज्ञातस्वरूपाय कैवल्यायामृताय च

Transliteration

devā ūcuḥ | namo hiraṇyarūpāya brahmaṇe brahmarūpiṇe | avijñātasvarūpāya kaivalyāyāmṛtāya ca

Translation

The gods said: Salutations to Brahmā of golden form, to him whose very nature is Brahman. Salutations to the One whose true form is unknowable, to Liberation itself, and to the Deathless.

Word by Word

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (देव-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच्-धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Salutation/प्रणाम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (नमस्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: निपातवत् प्रयोग (indeclinable interjection); सामान्यतः चतुर्थी-योग्य (takes dative)

• हिरण्यरूपाय: to the golden-formed one
• हिरण्यरूपाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hiraṇya + rūpa (हिरण्य-प्रातिपदिक + रूप-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'हिरण्यस्य रूपम्'

• ब्रह्मणे: to Brahman/Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (ब्रह्मन्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• ब्रह्मरूपिणे: to the one whose form is Brahman
• ब्रह्मरूपिणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman + rūpin (ब्रह्मन्-प्रातिपदिक + रूपिन्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: 'ब्रह्मरूपः यस्य' (rūpin = 'having form')

• अविज्ञातस्वरूपाय: to the one whose true nature is unknown
• अविज्ञातस्वरूपाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a- + vijñāta + sva-rūpa (अ-उपसर्ग/नञ् + विज्ञात- (√jñā क्त) + स्वरूप-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष: 'अविज्ञातं स्वरूपं यस्य/यस्य स्वरूपम्'

• कैवल्याय: to (the) absolute aloneness/liberation
• कैवल्याय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaivalya (कैवल्य-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन (abstract noun used as epithet)

• अमृताय: to the immortal one
• अमृताय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amṛta (अमृत-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन (epithet: 'immortal/nectar-like')

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

Speaker

Devas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas chant a formal hymn before Brahmā: his body shines like molten gold; behind him a subtle, formless radiance suggests Brahman beyond attributes.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Brahmā
• Brahman
• Kaivalya
• Amṛta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest divine principle transcends full comprehension; surrender and reverence align one with liberation and deathlessness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tirtha is named; the hymn occurs within Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Stotra-stuti (hymnic praise) as a devotional practice is exemplified.