Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

आद्यंतरहितं नित्यं र्शिवं शंकरमव्ययम् । एकगुणत्रयातीतं भक्तस्वांतकृतास्पदम्

Transliteration

ādyaṃtarahitaṃ nityaṃ rśivaṃ śaṃkaramavyayam | ekaguṇatrayātītaṃ bhaktasvāṃtakṛtāspadam

Translation

Sans commencement ni fin, éternel—Śiva, Śaṅkara, impérissable; au-delà des trois guṇa, et pourtant Il siège dans le cœur purifié des dévots.

Word by Word

• ādya: beginning
• ādya: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ādya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासपूर्वपद) ‘beginning/first’

• antara: end
• antara: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासमध्यपद) नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक ‘end/interval’; here ‘end’ in pair with ādya

• hitam: having (beginning and end)
• hitam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hita (कृदन्त; √dhā/धा with hi-; lexical)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः = ādya-antara-hita (तत्पुरुषः; अर्थः: ‘having beginning and end’ → with negation implied by rahita below; in usage: ‘beginning-and-end’)

• rahitam: devoid of beginning and end
• rahitam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rahita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः = ādya-antara-rahita (तत्पुरुषः: ‘devoid of beginning and end’)

• nityam: eternal
• nityam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• śivam: Śiva
• śivam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (IAST has rśivaṃ; read as śivaṃ)

• śaṃkaram: Śaṅkara
• śaṃkaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (apposition)

• avyayam: imperishable
• avyayam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avyaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘imperishable/unchanging’

• eka: one
• eka: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासपूर्वपद) ‘one’

• guṇa: quality
• guṇa: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासमध्यपद) पुंलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक ‘quality’

• traya: three
• traya: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासमध्यपद) संख्यावाचक ‘three’; समासाङ्ग (dvigu sense within compound)

• atītam: transcending
• atītam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: atīta (कृदन्त; √i/इ + ati-)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः = eka-guṇa-traya-atīta (तत्पुरुषः: ‘transcending the three guṇas’)

• bhakta: devotee
• bhakta: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakta (कृदन्त; √bhaj/भज्)
• Form: (समासपूर्वपद) पुंलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक ‘devotee’

• svānta: inner heart
• svānta: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svānta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासमध्यपद) नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक; समासः = sva-anta (तत्पुरुषः: ‘one’s inner (heart)’)

• kṛta: made
• kṛta: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (कृदन्त; √kṛ/कृ)
• Form: (समासमध्यपद) भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘made/placed’

• āspadam: having (his) abode (in devotees’ hearts)
• āspadam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āspada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः = bhakta-svānta-kṛta-āspada (तत्पुरुषः: ‘whose abode is made in devotees’ hearts’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī (inner Avimukta doctrine)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as a serene, formless-yet-formed presence: a calm icon of Śaṅkara dissolves into a luminous heart-lotus within a devotee’s chest; three guṇas appear as fading colored threads outside the heart, indicating transcendence.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śaṅkara
• Tri-guṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The transcendent Lord beyond nature’s guṇas becomes immanent through devotion, dwelling in the devotee’s inner being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the contextual sacred setting, where Śiva’s liberating presence is central to the Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated; it implies inner devotion and contemplative remembrance of Śiva/Praṇava.