Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 82
Devanagari script
अकारं सत्त्वसंपन्नमृक्क्षेत्रं सृष्टिपालकम् । नारायणात्मकं साक्षात्तमः पारे प्रतिष्ठितम्
Transliteration
akāraṃ sattvasaṃpannamṛkkṣetraṃ sṛṣṭipālakam | nārāyaṇātmakaṃ sākṣāttamaḥ pāre pratiṣṭhitam
Translation
તેણે ‘અ’કારનું દર્શન કર્યું—સત્ત્વસંપન્ન, ઋગ્વેદનું ક્ષેત્ર, સૃષ્ટિનો પાલક; સాక్షાત્ નારાયણાત્મક, તમસની પાર પ્રતિષ્ઠિત.
Word by Word
akāramthe syllable ‘a’ (akāra)
akāram:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootakāra (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
sattvasaṃpannamendowed with sattva (purity)
sattvasaṃpannam:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootsattva (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃpanna (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधारित)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे ‘सत्त्वेन/सत्त्वस्य संपन्नम्’ = endowed with sattva
ṛkṣetramthe field/source of Ṛk (Ṛgveda)
ṛkṣetram:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootṛk (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ṛcaḥ kṣetram)
sṛṣṭipālakamprotector of creation
sṛṣṭipālakam:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootsṛṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + pālaka (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (sṛṣṭeḥ pālakam)
nārāyaṇātmakamhaving the nature of Nārāyaṇa
nārāyaṇātmakam:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootnārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaka (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (nārāyaṇasya ātmakaṃ)
sākṣātdirectly/in person
sākṣāt:
Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsākṣāt (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निपात/क्रियाविशेषण (directly, manifestly)
tamaḥdarkness/tamas
tamaḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottamas (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
pāreon the far shore/beyond
pāre:
Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootpāra (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन
pratiṣṭhitamestablished/placed
pratiṣṭhitam:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootpratiṣṭhā (धातु)
Formकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘established/standing’
Speaker
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)
Characters & Entities
N
NārāyaṇaṚ
Ṛgveda (Ṛk)FAQs
The syllable ‘A’ signifies sattvic sustenance and points to the divine essence (here, Nārāyaṇa) beyond ignorance.
Kāśī’s spiritual doctrine is foregrounded—presenting the Praṇava as a liberating revelation within Kāśīkhaṇḍa.
No direct prescription; the verse is doctrinal, mapping sound (akāra) to Veda and deity.