Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

इदं रहस्यं क्षेत्रस्य वेद कोपि न कुंभज । नास्तिकाय न वक्तव्यं कदाचिच्चर्मचक्षुषे

Transliteration

idaṃ rahasyaṃ kṣetrasya veda kopi na kuṃbhaja | nāstikāya na vaktavyaṃ kadāciccarmacakṣuṣe

Translation

ಹೇ ಕುಂಭಜ! ಈ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರದ ಈ ರಹಸ್ಯವನ್ನು ವಿರಳರು ಮಾತ್ರ ತಿಳಿಯುತ್ತಾರೆ. ನಾಸ್ತಿಕನಿಗೆ ಇದನ್ನು ಎಂದಿಗೂ ಹೇಳಬಾರದು; ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ಕೇವಲ ಹೊರದೃಷ್ಟಿ—‘ಚರ್ಮಚಕ್ಷು’—ಯಿಂದ ನೋಡುವವನಿಗೂ ಅಲ್ಲ.

Word by Word

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन — neuter, accusative, singular; विशेषणम्

• रहस्यम्: secret
• रहस्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रहस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन — neuter, accusative, singular

• क्षेत्रस्य: of the sacred field
• क्षेत्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — neuter, genitive, singular

• वेद: knows
• वेद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — 3rd person singular, present

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन — masculine, nominative, singular

• अपि: even/any
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अपि-अर्थ — even/any

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negative particle)

• कुम्भज: O Kumbhaja (Agastya)
• कुम्भज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भज (प्रातिपदिक; कुम्भ + ज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — masculine, vocative, singular

• नास्तिकाय: to an atheist
• नास्तिकाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नास्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन — masculine, dative, singular

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negative particle)

• वक्तव्यम्: should be told
• वक्तव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → वक्तव्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligative), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘should be spoken’ (impersonal obligation)

• कदाचित्: ever
• कदाचित्: Kala-adhikarana (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb ‘ever/at any time’)

• चर्मचक्षुषे: to one with ‘skin-eyes’ (gross/outer vision)
• चर्मचक्षुषे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर्म-चक्षुस् (प्रातिपदिक; चर्म + चक्षुस्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन — neuter, dative, singular

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (explicit: kumbhaja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A guru figure (Skanda) instructs the pot-born sage (Agastya) in a secluded setting; a veil or closed manuscript symbolizes ‘rahasya’; shadowy figures representing nāstika and ‘skin-eyed’ stand outside the circle of teaching.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī)
• Nāstika (denier)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred knowledge requires inner receptivity; without faith and depth, the kṣetra-rahasya is misunderstood or misused.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-kṣetra in Kāśī, whose ‘secret’ greatness is guarded by qualification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A teaching-dharma prescription: do not disclose the rahasya to nāstikas or superficial listeners.