Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

तारकं ब्रह्मव्याचष्टे तेन ब्रह्म भवंति हि । एवं श्लोको भवत्येष आहुर्वै वेदवादिनः

Transliteration

tārakaṃ brahmavyācaṣṭe tena brahma bhavaṃti hi | evaṃ śloko bhavatyeṣa āhurvai vedavādinaḥ

Translation

Il enseigne le Tāraka comme Brahman; par cela, les êtres deviennent vraiment Brahman. Tel est ce vers, ainsi que le proclament les interprètes du Veda.

Word by Word

• तारकम्: the Tāraka (mantra)
• तारकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ब्रह्म: Brahmā / the Creator
• ब्रह्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); कर्तृपद-रूप (agent)

• व्याचष्टे: explains, declares
• व्याचष्टे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-ā-cakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• तेन: by that, through that
• तेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम-रूप

• ब्रह्म: Brahman (the Absolute)
• ब्रह्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• भवन्ति: become
• भवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle, indeed)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• श्लोकः: verse
• श्लोकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śloka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• भवति: is, becomes
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• एषः: this
• एषः: Visheshya (Appositional demonstrative/निर्देशक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम-रूप

• आहुः: they say
• आहुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• वेदवादिनः: the Veda-speakers, Vedic expounders
• वेदवादिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda + vādin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Skanda (citing Vedic authorities, veda-vādinaḥ)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/pilgrims (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as Dakṣiṇāmūrti-like teacher in Kāśī, radiating stillness; the word ‘Tāraka’ appears as luminous syllables dissolving into an infinite Brahman-light, while Veda-knowers gesture in assent.

Characters & Entities

• Tāraka
• Brahman
• Veda-vādinaḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Tāraka teaching is identified with Brahman-realization, granting liberation through direct knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly Avimukta/Kāśī, where the Tāraka instruction is classically given.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external ritual; the emphasis is on upadeśa (liberating instruction/knowledge).