Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

उकारमथ तस्याग्रे रजोरूपं यजुर्जनिम् । विधातारं समस्तस्य स्वाकारमिव बिंबितम्

Transliteration

ukāramatha tasyāgre rajorūpaṃ yajurjanim | vidhātāraṃ samastasya svākāramiva biṃbitam

Translation

Ensuite, devant lui apparut le son « U » : de la forme de rajas, source du Yajus (Yajurvéda) ; l’Ordonnateur de tout, comme reflété en sa propre forme.

Word by Word

• ukāram: the syllable ‘u’ (ukāra)
• ukāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ukāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• atha: then
• atha: Kriya-visheshana (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• tasya: of that/of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• agre: in front/before
• agre: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘in front/at the beginning’

• rajorūpam: the form of rajas
• rajorūpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rajas (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (rajasaḥ rūpam)

• yajurjanim: the origin/source of Yajus (Yajurveda)
• yajurjanim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajus (प्रातिपदिक) + jani (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (yajuṣaḥ janiḥ)

• vidhātāram: the ordainer/creator
• vidhātāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• samastasya: of all/of the entire (universe)
• samastasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘of the whole/all’

• svākāram: his own form/shape
• svākāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + ākāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (svaḥ ākāraḥ = one’s own form)

• iva: as if/like
• iva: Upamāna-marker (Comparison/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमावाचक (comparative particle)

• biṃbitam: reflected/manifested
• biṃbitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: biṃb (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘reflected/depicted’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The ‘U’ syllable appears before Brahmā as a vibrant, reddish-golden form; Yajurvedic ritual symbols—ladle, altar lines, fire—faintly surround it; it reflects Brahmā’s own form as if in a shining mirror.

Characters & Entities

• Yajurveda (Yajus)
• Brahmā (Vidhātā—Ordainer)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The ‘U’ aspect of Praṇava is linked with dynamic rajas and ordering power—creation’s active structuring principle.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the textual setting; its Māhātmya conveys the Praṇava as a key to understanding cosmic functions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it provides a symbolic-theological correspondence (U ↔ rajas ↔ Yajur).