Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

अहं कर्ता हि लोकानां यज्ञो नारायणः परः । न मामनादृत्य विधे जीवनं जगतामज

Transliteration

ahaṃ kartā hi lokānāṃ yajño nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ | na māmanādṛtya vidhe jīvanaṃ jagatāmaja

Translation

“I am indeed the maker of the worlds; the sacrifice (yajña) is the supreme Nārāyaṇa. O Ordainer, O Unborn—without honoring me, the worlds cannot even live.”

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कर्ता: creator/doer
• कर्ता: Karta (Predicate nominative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ + तृच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate noun)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/particle (indeed)

• लोकानाम्: of the worlds
• लोकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• यज्ञः: the sacrifice (Yajña)
• यज्ञः: Karta (Predicate nominative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नारायणः: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणः: Karta (Predicate nominative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• परः: supreme
• परः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of नारायणः)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध/negation particle

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अनादृत्य: disregarding
• अनादृत्य: Sambandha (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अन्-आ-√दृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘अनादृत्य’ = having disregarded

• विधे: O Vidhi (Brahmā)
• विधे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• जीवनम्: life/sustenance
• जीवनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; here as प्रथमा (subject)

• जगताम्: of the worlds
• जगताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• अज: O Unborn one (Brahmā)
• अज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Kratu (asserting Nārāyaṇa as the supreme sacrificial principle)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A creator-like deity speaks with firm gesture; behind him a symbolic yajña-kuṇḍa flame rises, within which a subtle Nārāyaṇa form is suggested—indicating yajña as divine body.

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa
• Vidhātr (Vidhe)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine is identified with yajña (sacrifice) and cosmic sustenance; honoring the supreme principle is portrayed as essential for the world’s life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No individual tīrtha is mentioned; the verse functions within Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s theological narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly elevates yajña as sacred, but no concrete ritual steps (time, place, offering) are specified in this line.