Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 110

Devanagari script

न योगेन विना ज्ञानं योगस्तत्त्वार्थशीलनम् । गुरूपदिष्टमार्गेण सदाभ्यासवशेन च

Transliteration

na yogena vinā jñānaṃ yogastattvārthaśīlanam | gurūpadiṣṭamārgeṇa sadābhyāsavaśena ca

Translation

Il n’est point de vraie connaissance sans yoga. Le yoga est la contemplation disciplinée du sens du réel, suivie selon la voie enseignée par le guru et affermie par une pratique constante.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• yogena: by yoga
• yogena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन

• vinā: without
• vinā: Sambandha (Exclusion/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वियोग/अभावार्थक उपसर्गसदृश (preposition-like: without)

• jñānam: knowledge
• jñānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• yogaḥ: yoga
• yogaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• tattvārthaśīlanam: practice/investigation of the true meaning of reality
• tattvārthaśīlanam: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tattva + artha + śīlana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (तत्त्वस्य अर्थस्य शीलनम्/अनुशीलनम्)

• gurūpadiṣṭamārgeṇa: by the path taught by the guru
• gurūpadiṣṭamārgeṇa: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru + upadiṣṭa (कृदन्त; √diś धातु) + mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गुरुणा उपदिष्टः मार्गः तेन)

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (time adverb)

• abhyāsavaśena: through the power of practice
• abhyāsavaśena: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abhyāsa + vaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अभ्यासस्य वशः/वशेन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A guru seated near a quiet Kāśī courtyard or ghāṭa, instructing a disciple in tattva-vicāra; behind them, a subtle mandala-like depiction of reality’s layers; the disciple practices steady meditation, suggesting ‘sadābhyāsa’.

Characters & Entities

• Guru
• Yoga
• Jñāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberating knowledge matures through yogic discipline guided by a guru and stabilized by steady practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is doctrinal rather than geographic; it appears within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa context of Kāśī’s liberation-teachings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sādhanā is prescribed: follow the guru-instructed path and maintain continual abhyāsa (practice).