Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 110

Devanagari script

न योगेन विना ज्ञानं योगस्तत्त्वार्थशीलनम् । गुरूपदिष्टमार्गेण सदाभ्यासवशेन च

Transliteration

na yogena vinā jñānaṃ yogastattvārthaśīlanam | gurūpadiṣṭamārgeṇa sadābhyāsavaśena ca

Translation

യോഗമില്ലാതെ യഥാർത്ഥ ജ്ഞാനം ഇല്ല. യോഗം എന്നത് തത്ത്വാർത്ഥത്തിന്റെ ശീലനം—ഗുരു ഉപദേശിച്ച മാർഗ്ഗത്തിലൂടെ, നിത്യാഭ്യാസത്തിന്റെ ബലത്താൽ.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• yogena: by yoga
• yogena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन

• vinā: without
• vinā: Sambandha (Exclusion/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वियोग/अभावार्थक उपसर्गसदृश (preposition-like: without)

• jñānam: knowledge
• jñānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• yogaḥ: yoga
• yogaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• tattvārthaśīlanam: practice/investigation of the true meaning of reality
• tattvārthaśīlanam: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tattva + artha + śīlana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (तत्त्वस्य अर्थस्य शीलनम्/अनुशीलनम्)

• gurūpadiṣṭamārgeṇa: by the path taught by the guru
• gurūpadiṣṭamārgeṇa: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru + upadiṣṭa (कृदन्त; √diś धातु) + mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गुरुणा उपदिष्टः मार्गः तेन)

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (time adverb)

• abhyāsavaśena: through the power of practice
• abhyāsavaśena: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abhyāsa + vaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अभ्यासस्य वशः/वशेन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A guru seated near a quiet Kāśī courtyard or ghāṭa, instructing a disciple in tattva-vicāra; behind them, a subtle mandala-like depiction of reality’s layers; the disciple practices steady meditation, suggesting ‘sadābhyāsa’.

Characters & Entities

• Guru
• Yoga
• Jñāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberating knowledge matures through yogic discipline guided by a guru and stabilized by steady practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is doctrinal rather than geographic; it appears within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa context of Kāśī’s liberation-teachings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sādhanā is prescribed: follow the guru-instructed path and maintain continual abhyāsa (practice).