Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

पंचार्था यत्र भासंते पंचब्रह्ममयं हि यत् । आदिपंचस्वरूपंयन्निरैक्षि ब्रह्मणा हि तत्

Transliteration

paṃcārthā yatra bhāsaṃte paṃcabrahmamayaṃ hi yat | ādipaṃcasvarūpaṃyanniraikṣi brahmaṇā hi tat

Translation

Là où resplendissent les cinq principes—oui, ce qui est fait des Cinq Brahman—Brahmā contempla cette forme primordiale aux cinq aspects.

Word by Word

• पञ्चार्थाः: the five meanings/principles
• पञ्चार्थाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (पञ्च+अर्थ); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (relative adverb)

• भासन्ते: shine/appear
• भासन्ते: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भास् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• पञ्चब्रह्ममयम्: consisting of the five Brahmas
• पञ्चब्रह्ममयम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या) + ब्रह्म (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रत्यय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पञ्च-ब्रह्म-मय); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha/Emphasis (Nipāta)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (explanatory/emphatic particle)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• आदिपञ्चस्वरूपम्: having the form of the primordial five
• आदिपञ्चस्वरूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + पञ्च (संख्या) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (आदि-पञ्च-स्वरूप); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• निरैक्षि: beheld/saw
• निरैक्षि: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि+ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Emphasis (Nipāta)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages in the Purāṇic frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā beholds a liṅga or radiant pillar manifesting five colored flames/rays in five directions, each inscribed with a pañcabrahma name; the five principles shimmer like facets of one light.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Pañcabrahma (five Brahman-aspects)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The supreme reality is presented as a fivefold radiance (pañcabrahma), revealing multiple dimensions of the one truth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s sacred-theological landscape in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where Śaiva metaphysics is taught as a path to liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicit; the focus is on vision/realization of the pañcabrahma nature.