Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

यतिः कदाचिदिति सरूपैरभ्रामयज्जनान् । सर्वविद्यासु कुशलः सर्वज्ञश्चाभवत्क्वचित्

Transliteration

yatiḥ kadāciditi sarūpairabhrāmayajjanān | sarvavidyāsu kuśalaḥ sarvajñaścābhavatkvacit

Translation

ಹೀಗೆ ಅವನು ಕೆಲವೊಮ್ಮೆ ಯತಿಯ ರೂಪ ತಾಳಿಕೊಂಡು ನಾನಾರೂಪಗಳಿಂದ ಜನರನ್ನು ಭ್ರಮೆಗೊಳಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದ. ಕೆಲವೊಮ್ಮೆ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ವಿದ್ಯೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕುಶಲನಾಗಿ, ಕೆಲವೊಮ್ಮೆ ಸರ್ವಜ್ಞನಂತೆ ಕಾಣುತ್ತಿದ್ದ॥

Word by Word

• यतिः: an ascetic
• यतिः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कदाचित्: sometimes
• कदाचित्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• सरूपैः: with similar/appropriate forms (disguises)
• सरूपैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासः—स-रूपः = समरूपः/सदृशरूपः (कर्मधारय)

• अभ्रामयत्: deluded/made wander
• अभ्रामयत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भ्रम् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• जनान्: people
• जनान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• सर्वविद्यासु: in all branches of knowledge
• सर्वविद्यासु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; समासः—सर्व-विद्या = सर्वाः विद्याः (कर्मधारय/द्विगु-न; अर्थतः 'all sciences')

• कुशलः: skilled
• कुशलः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुशल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सर्वज्ञः: omniscient/all-knowing
• सर्वज्ञः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक; √ज्ञा धातु-आधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—सर्व-ज्ञः = सर्वं जानाति इति (कर्मधारय/उपपद-प्राय)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• अभवत्: became/was
• अभवत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• क्वचित्: sometimes
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana (Time/Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A renunciant-looking figure with staff and ochre cloth captivates a crowd; in the background, subtle visual hints show his shifting faces and masks, while a true ascetic sits apart in silent meditation near a Śiva shrine.

Characters & Entities

• yati (renunciant)
• sarvavidyā
• sarvajña (omniscient)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Claims of mastery or omniscience can deceive; authentic spirituality is verified by humility, truth, and dharmic conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), where seekers are urged to cultivate discernment amid many teachers and appearances.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive, underscoring discernment rather than ritual instruction.