Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

अमूर्तं यत्पराख्यं वै तस्य मूर्तिरहं प्रिये । अर्वाचीनपराचीना ईश्वरं मां जगुर्बुधाः

Transliteration

amūrtaṃ yatparākhyaṃ vai tasya mūrtirahaṃ priye | arvācīnaparācīnā īśvaraṃ māṃ jagurbudhāḥ

Translation

«Bien-aimée, de cette Réalité sans forme appelée le Suprême, je suis la forme manifestée. Proche et lointain tout ensemble, les sages me célèbrent comme Īśvara.»

Word by Word

• अमूर्तम्: formless
• अमूर्तम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative pronoun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• पराख्यम्: called 'Parā'
• पराख्यम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पराख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मूर्तिः: the form
• मूर्तिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रिये: O dear one
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• अर्वाचीनपराचीना: both near and far
• अर्वाचीनपराचीना: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्वाचीन (प्रातिपदिक) + पराचीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (copulative: 'near and far')

• ईश्वरम्: the Lord
• ईश्वरम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object in apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जगुः: declared/spoke of
• जगुः: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु; √गै 'to sing/speak')
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; अर्थः 'declared/spoke'

• बुधाः: the wise (people)
• बुधाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Īśvarī/Devī (deduced from vocative 'priye' and self-identification as the mūrti of Parā Brahman)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An intimate teaching scene: the Lord as luminous liṅga or anthropomorphic Śiva speaks to ‘Beloved’ (Devī/Śakti), showing two horizons—one close (city/temple) and one vast (cosmic expanse)—signifying near and far.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Parā Brahman
• Īśvarī/Devī (speaker)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The formless Supreme is accessible through a manifest divine form; the Lord is both immanent (near) and transcendent (far).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

As part of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, the teaching implicitly elevates Kāśī as a place where the Supreme is known as both beyond-form and worshippable form.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse supports devotional worship grounded in metaphysical unity.