Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

चेतः स्वरूपिणी त्वं वै त्वं सर्वेंद्रियरूपिणी । पंचतन्मात्ररूपा त्वं महाभूतात्मिकेंबिके

Transliteration

cetaḥ svarūpiṇī tvaṃ vai tvaṃ sarveṃdriyarūpiṇī | paṃcatanmātrarūpā tvaṃ mahābhūtātmikeṃbike

Translation

Tu es, en vérité, la forme même de la conscience (cetas), et Tu es la forme de tous les sens. Tu es les cinq tanmātras, ô Mère, et aussi l’essence des grands éléments (mahābhūtas).

Word by Word

• चेतः: mind, consciousness (cetas)
• चेतः: Predicate nominative (appositional)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्वरूपिणी: having (that) as one’s own form
• स्वरूपिणी: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वरूपिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Sambodhana/Pratipādya
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/एवकारार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Sambodhana/Pratipādya
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति

• सर्वेन्द्रियरूपिणी: one having the form of all the senses
• सर्वेन्द्रियरूपिणी: Predicate nominative
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + इन्द्रिय + रूपिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषाम् इन्द्रियाणां रूपिणी)

• पञ्चतन्मात्ररूपा: having the form of the five tanmātras
• पञ्चतन्मात्ररूपा: Predicate nominative (as adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + तन्मात्र + रूपा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु/तत्पुरुष-समासः (पञ्च तन्मात्राणि यस्याः रूपम्)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Sambodhana/Pratipādya
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति

• महाभूतात्मिके: O one whose essence is the great elements
• महाभूतात्मिके: Sambodhana (Vocative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाभूत + आत्मिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (महाभूतानाम् आत्मिका)

• अम्बिके: O Ambikā (Mother Goddess)
• अम्बिके: Sambodhana (Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī as a luminous central figure; from her radiate five subtle streams labeled sound/touch/form/taste/smell, and around her a mandala of senses and the five great elements—earth, water, fire, air, ether—shown as concentric rings merging back into her heart as pure consciousness.

Characters & Entities

• Ambikā
• Indriyas
• Tanmātras
• Mahābhūtas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devī is affirmed as immanent in both inner awareness and the entire field of perception—from senses to subtle and gross elements.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is the overarching sacred geography of this section, presenting the city as pervaded by Devī’s power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is stated; the verse supports contemplative worship and recognition of Devī’s all-pervasiveness.