Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

त्वं परासि महादेवि त्वं च देवि परापरा । परापराणां परमा परमात्मस्वरूपिणी

Transliteration

tvaṃ parāsi mahādevi tvaṃ ca devi parāparā | parāparāṇāṃ paramā paramātmasvarūpiṇī

Translation

You are the Supreme (Parā), O great Goddess; and You are also Parāparā—beyond both high and low. Among all that is ‘supreme and not-supreme,’ You are the highest, the very form of the Supreme Self.

Word by Word

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

• परा: supreme, transcendent
• परा: Predicate nominative (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• असि: are
• असि: Kriyā (Copula)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महादेवि: O Great Goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महती देवी)

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय

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

• परापरा: both transcendent and immanent
• परापरा: Predicate nominative
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा + अपरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (परा च अपरा च)

• परापराणाम्: of (all) the para-apara (entities)
• परापराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परापरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• परमा: the highest
• परमा: Predicate nominative
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• परमात्मस्वरूपिणी: one whose nature is the Supreme Self
• परमात्मस्वरूपिणी: Predicate nominative
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमात्मन् + स्वरूपिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (परमात्मनः स्वरूपिणी)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī depicted as a serene, almost formless radiance above Kāśī’s skyline; beneath, dualities (high/low, light/dark) appear as dissolving pairs, merging into a single white-gold field labeled ‘Paramātmā’.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādevī
• Paramātman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devī is identified with the ultimate reality itself—beyond categories—worthy of the highest refuge and contemplation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the textual setting; the verse supports the Mahātmya’s claim that Kāśī is sanctified by the presence of the Supreme.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual instruction appears; it is doctrinal praise used for prayer, japa, and meditation.