Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

आकारेणैव सर्वज्ञस्तद्वृत्तांतं विवेद ह । अवादीच्च मुनिं शंभुः कुतो मौनावलंबनम्

Transliteration

ākāreṇaiva sarvajñastadvṛttāṃtaṃ viveda ha | avādīcca muniṃ śaṃbhuḥ kuto maunāvalaṃbanam

Translation

ಸರ್ವಜ್ಞನಾದ ಪ್ರಭುವು ಅವನ ನಡವಳಿಕೆಯಿಂದಲೇ ಸಮಸ್ತ ವೃತ್ತಾಂತವನ್ನು ಅರಿತನು. ಶಂಭುವು ಮುನಿಗೆ ಹೇಳಿದನು—“ನೀನು ಮೌನವನ್ನು ಏಕೆ ಆಶ್ರಯಿಸಿದ್ದೀ?”

Word by Word

• आकारेण: by (his) expression/gesture
• आकारेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (particle: indeed/only)

• सर्वज्ञः: the omniscient one
• सर्वज्ञः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (शम्भुः) विशेषणम्

• तद्वृत्तान्तम्: that account
• तद्वृत्तान्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद्-वृत्तान्त (प्रातिपदिक; तद् + वृत्तान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विवेद: knew, understood
• विवेद: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√विद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपदी; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ह: indeed (emphatic)
• ह: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: स्मरण/पादपूरण-निपात (particle, expletive)

• अवादीत्: said
• अवादीत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), परस्मैपदी; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मुनिम्: to the sage
• मुनिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शम्भुः: Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कुतः: why, from where
• कुतः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: whence/why)

• मौनावलम्बनम्: resort to silence, keeping silence
• मौनावलम्बनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौन-अवलम्बन (प्रातिपदिक; मौन + अवलम्बन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘मौनस्य अवलम्बनम्’

Speaker

Skanda (narration) / Śiva (direct speech in second hemistich)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, serene and all-knowing, looks at Nārada and gently questions him; Nārada sits quietly, eyes lowered; the moment captures omniscience meeting human hesitation.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Nārada (implied as the sage)
• Sarvajña (the all-knowing Lord)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord perceives the devotee’s inner state without being told; divine omniscience invites honest dialogue rather than hidden hesitation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse supports Kāśī’s Śaiva theological mood—Śiva as the knower of all.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a teaching moment within a dialogue.