Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

अतंद्रितमनोबुद्धींद्रिया यं सनकादयः । ध्यायंतोपि हृदाकाशे न विंदंति यथार्थतः

Transliteration

ataṃdritamanobuddhīṃdriyā yaṃ sanakādayaḥ | dhyāyaṃtopi hṛdākāśe na viṃdaṃti yathārthataḥ

Translation

Même les Sanaka et les autres—dont l’esprit, l’intellect et les sens demeurent sans relâche vigilants—, méditant sur Lui dans le ciel intérieur du cœur, ne Le saisissent pas en vérité tel qu’Il est.

Word by Word

• अतन्द्रित: unwearied, vigilant
• अतन्द्रित: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-तन्द्रित (कृदन्त; तन्द्र्/तन्द्रा-धातु + क्त, नञ्-पूर्वक)
• Form: विशेषणम्; पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• मनः: minds
• मनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Neuter, Nominative, Plural)

• बुद्धि: intellects
• बुद्धि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Feminine, Nominative, Plural)

• इन्द्रियाः: senses
• इन्द्रियाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Neuter, Nominative, Plural)

• यम्: whom
• यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• सनकादयः: Sanaka and others
• सनकादयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सनक + आदि (प्रातिपदिक); समाहार-समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• ध्यायन्तः: meditating
• ध्यायन्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु) + शतृ (वर्तमान-कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिकः शतृ-प्रत्ययान्तः; पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Present active participle; Masc. Nom. Pl.)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः/समुच्चयार्थकः (particle: even/also)

• हृदाकाशे: in the heart-space
• हृदाकाशे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद् + आकाश (प्रातिपदिक); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हृदः आकाशः)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम् (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः (negation particle)

• विन्दन्ति: find
• विन्दन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु; लभे/ज्ञाने)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः बहुवचनम् (Present indicative, 3rd person plural)

• यथार्थतः: truly, as it is
• यथार्थतः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथार्थ + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकारवाचकः (adverb: in truth/as it really is)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Sanaka sages seated in deep meditation, eyes half-closed, focusing on a luminous ‘inner sky’ within the heart; the deity remains an ungraspable radiance beyond form, suggesting transcendence rather than a fixed icon.

Characters & Entities

• Sanaka
• Sanandana
• Sanātana
• Sanatkumāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme is ultimately beyond full conceptual grasp; even exalted sages cannot exhaust His reality through meditation alone.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse appears within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s devotional-theological frame, supporting Kāśī-māhātmya by exalting the Lord worshipped in Kāśī rather than naming a single tirtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it establishes the transcendence of the Lord as a basis for devotion and practice.