Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

विष्लृव्याप्तावयंधातुर्यत्रसार्थकतां गतः । ते विष्णुनाम स्वरूपे हि सर्वव्यापनशीलिनि

Transliteration

viṣlṛvyāptāvayaṃdhāturyatrasārthakatāṃ gataḥ | te viṣṇunāma svarūpe hi sarvavyāpanaśīlini

Translation

Di mana akar kata (viṣlṛ) mencapai makna sejatinya sebagai ‘meliputi segala’, di sanalah hakikat nama “Viṣṇu” ditegakkan—Dia yang wataknya meresapi dan meliputi semuanya.

Word by Word

• विष्लृ: the root ‘viṣlṛ’
• विष्लृ: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/उपपद)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विष्लृ (धातु)
• Form: धातुनिर्देश (verbal root citation); ‘व्याप्तौ’ इत्यर्थनिर्देशसहित

• व्याप्तौ: in (the sense of) pervasion
• व्याप्तौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अर्थनिर्देशे (in the sense of)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निर्देशार्थ

• धातुः: verbal root
• धातुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• सार्थकताम्: meaningfulness; full applicability
• सार्थकताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार्थकता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गतः: has attained
• गतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘प्राप्तः’

• ते: that (those)
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; निर्देशार्थ (‘those/that’)

• विष्णुनाम: the name ‘Viṣṇu’
• विष्णुनाम: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘विष्णोः नाम’

• स्वरूपे: in the essential form/nature
• स्वरूपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/उपपद)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• सर्वव्यापनशीलिनि: in that which has the nature of pervading all
• सर्वव्यापनशीलिनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + व्यापन + शीलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of स्वरूपे)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic audience within the frame dialogue

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A scholar-sage in Kāśī explaining the word ‘Viṣṇu’ while the background shows the deity’s presence permeating rivers, ghāṭs, temples, and the sky—transparent overlays of Vishnu across the cityscape.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Nāma (name)
• Dhātu (verbal root)
• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The name “Viṣṇu” points to God’s all-pervading nature—He is present in and through all existence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse is theological/etymological; its placement in Kāśīkhaṇḍa connects this teaching to the sanctity of Kāśī’s devotional milieu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse supports nāma-japa and contemplation by explaining the meaning embedded in the divine name.