Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

केन पश्यंत्यमुं लोकं निवसंति तथात्र के । इदमेवास्य किं रूपं किं चान्यच्च निवेद्यताम्

Transliteration

kena paśyaṃtyamuṃ lokaṃ nivasaṃti tathātra ke | idamevāsya kiṃ rūpaṃ kiṃ cānyacca nivedyatām

Translation

Par quel moyen perçoit-on ce monde-là, et qui y demeure ? Est-ce là son unique forme, ou en a-t-il une autre aussi ? Qu’on l’explique clairement.

Word by Word

• केन: by what (means)
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; नपुंसक/पुंलिङ्ग-सम्भव

• पश्यन्ति: see
• पश्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• अमुम्: that (person/one)
• अमुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• लोकम्: world
• लोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• निवसन्ति: dwell
• निवसन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• तथा: thus, so
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (thus/so)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• के: who (are they)
• के: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (restrictive particle)

• अस्य: of this (one), his
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-सम्भव

• किम्: what
• किम्: Visheshya (Predicate nominal/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Visheshya (Predicate nominal/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Visheshya (Predicate nominal/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अन्यत्: other (thing)
• अन्यत्: Visheshya (Predicate nominal/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• निवेद्यताम्: let it be stated/reported
• निवेद्यताम्: Kriya (Injunctive/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√विद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः—‘let it be reported’

Speaker

Śivaśarmā (Vipra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Yama-loka / Saṃyamanī context

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The questioner points toward a vast otherworldly city/realm, asking how it is perceived and who resides there; attendants prepare to explain; Yama’s form appears ambiguous—half serene, half fearsome as a conceptual overlay.

Characters & Entities

• Śivaśarmā
• Yama (implied)
• Saṃyamanī-loka (implied)
• Gaṇas (two attendants)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scriptural inquiry seeks causes, means of perception, and the deeper truth behind appearances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is named in this verse; it continues a Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue that supports Kāśī’s dharmic teaching framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it requests doctrinal clarification.