Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

संविदं तेन यं वेदा विष्णुर्वेद न वै विधिः । यतो वाचो निवर्तंते ह्यप्राप्य मनसा सह

Transliteration

saṃvidaṃ tena yaṃ vedā viṣṇurveda na vai vidhiḥ | yato vāco nivartaṃte hyaprāpya manasā saha

Translation

Cette conscience par laquelle les Veda sont connus — Viṣṇu la connaît, mais pas même Vidhi (Brahmā). D’elle, les paroles reviennent, incapables de l’atteindre, avec le mental.

Word by Word

• संविदम्: consciousness, awareness
• संविदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संविद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• तेन: by him/through that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण (instrumental)

• यम्: whom/which
• यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक सर्वनाम

• वेदाः: the Vedas
• वेदाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• विष्णुः: Vishnu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वेद: knows
• वेद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/assurance particle)

• विधिः: Brahmā / the ordainer (Vidhi)
• विधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• यतः: from whom/whence
• यतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-अव्यय (relative adverb); ‘यस्मात्’ अर्थे

• वाचः: words, speech
• वाचः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (वाचः = nom. pl.); कर्तृपद

• निवर्तन्ते: return, turn back
• निवर्तन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतु/अवधारण-निपात (particle: for/indeed)

• अप्राप्य: not attaining
• अप्राप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अ + प्र + आप् (धातु) → अप्राप्य (कृदन्त, ल्यप्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); ‘अप्राप्य’ = ‘न प्राप्य’

• मनसा: with the mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण (instrumental)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahartha (Accompaniment/सहार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-योगे अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages / internal Kāśī audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A hush-filled scene: a sage on a Kāśī ghat with a manuscript of Veda closed, looking inward; above, an ungraspable radiance suggesting the speech-and-mind-transcending reality.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃvid (Consciousness)
• Vedas
• Viṣṇu
• Vidhi (Brahmā)
• Vāk (Speech)
• Manas (Mind)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest truth is beyond conceptual grasp; spiritual realization surpasses speech and thought, encouraging contemplative practice and humility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is named; in the Kāśī setting, such teaching supports Kāśī as a place oriented to direct realization (jñāna) and liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a statement on the ineffability of ultimate consciousness.