Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

अन्यद्रहस्यं वक्ष्यामि न वाच्यं यत्रकुत्रचित् । अभक्तेषु सदा गोप्यं न गोप्यं भक्तिमज्जने

Transliteration

anyadrahasyaṃ vakṣyāmi na vācyaṃ yatrakutracit | abhakteṣu sadā gopyaṃ na gopyaṃ bhaktimajjane

Translation

Je vais dire un autre secret, qu’il ne faut pas prononcer n’importe où. Qu’il soit toujours caché aux sans-bhakti, mais qu’il ne soit pas caché à celui qui est plongé dans la dévotion.

Word by Word

• अन्यत्: another
• अन्यत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying रहस्यम्)

• रहस्यम्: secret
• रहस्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rahasya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• वक्ष्यामि: I shall tell
• वक्ष्यामि: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• वाच्यम्: to be spoken (should be told)
• वाच्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vac (धातु) + ya (णीयत्/यत् भावे)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘वक्तव्यम्’ अर्थे

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• कुत्रचित्: anywhere (at all)
• कुत्रचित्: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kutra + cit (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय; ‘चित्’ अनिश्चित्यर्थक (anywhere)

• अभक्तेषु: among non-devotees
• अभक्तेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a + bhakta (प्रातिपदिक); उपसर्ग-निषेध
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘अ-’ नञ् (non-devotees)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (always)

• गोप्यम्: to be concealed
• गोप्यम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gopya (प्रातिपदिक/कृत्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be kept secret)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• गोप्यम्: to be concealed
• गोप्यम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gopya (प्रातिपदिक/कृत्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• भक्तिमज्जने: in one immersed in devotion
• भक्तिमज्जने: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti + majjana (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भक्तेः मज्जनम् = immersion in devotion)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-rahasya (esoteric tīrtha teaching)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni (sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn teacher leans toward a sage, signaling secrecy—one hand raised in caution, the other in blessing—while Kāśī’s ghāṭas glow in the background.

Characters & Entities

• bhakti (devotion)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred knowledge is to be shared with discernment: devotion is the qualifying vessel for receiving tīrtha-rahasya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse prepares for a Kāśī-related secret (contextually leading to Māṇikarṇikā), though it does not name the site directly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A teaching on conduct: do not broadcast esoteric tīrtha teachings indiscriminately; share with true devotees.