Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

अहृषीकोहृषीकेशो प्यनंघ्रिरपिसर्वगः । उपसंहृत्य रूपं स्वं सर्वव्यापी जनार्दनः

Transliteration

ahṛṣīkohṛṣīkeśo pyanaṃghrirapisarvagaḥ | upasaṃhṛtya rūpaṃ svaṃ sarvavyāpī janārdanaḥ

Translation

How is He without senses, yet called Hṛṣīkeśa, the Lord of the senses? How is He without feet, yet all-pervading? How does Janārdana, who is everywhere, withdraw His own manifested form?

Word by Word

• अहृषीकः: without sense-organs (figuratively: unaffected)
• अहृषीकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अहृषीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative singular; adjective)

• हृषीकेशः: Hṛṣīkeśa (Lord of the senses)
• हृषीकेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृषीक-ईश (प्रातिपदिक; हृषीक + ईश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative) (Masculine, Nominative singular)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ (also/even)

• अनंघ्रिः: without feet (footless)
• अनंघ्रिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनङ्घ्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative singular; adjective)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ (also/even)

• सर्वगः: all-pervading; going everywhere
• सर्वगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-ग (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (Masculine, Nominative singular; adjective)

• उपसंहृत्य: having withdrawn/contracted
• उपसंहृत्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उप-सम्-हृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकाल (having done)

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative singular)

• स्वम्: his own
• स्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; स्वकीय-अर्थ (Neuter, Accusative singular; possessive adjective)

• सर्वव्यापी: all-pervading
• सर्वव्यापी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-व्यापिन् (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + व्यापिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (Masculine, Nominative singular; adjective)

• जनार्दनः: Janārdana (Vishnu)
• जनार्दनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative singular)

Speaker

Agastya (inquiring, addressed to Skanda)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative sage questions the paradox of Janārdana: a cosmic Viṣṇu presence filling space, while a smaller icon-form dissolves back into radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Hṛṣīkeśa (Viṣṇu)
• Janārdana (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine transcendence does not negate divine intimacy: the Supreme can govern the senses while remaining beyond limitation, and can manifest or withdraw form at will.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Pañcanada Tīrtha discussion in Kāśī, preparing for the account of Viṣṇu’s presence/act connected to the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.