Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

सर्वज्ञ एकः स प्रोक्तः स्वेच्छाधीन विचेष्टितः । तस्य प्रवतर्कः कोपि नहि नैव निवर्तकः

Transliteration

sarvajña ekaḥ sa proktaḥ svecchādhīna viceṣṭitaḥ | tasya pravatarkaḥ kopi nahi naiva nivartakaḥ

Translation

അവൻ ഏകമാത്ര സർവ്വജ്ഞനായ പ്രഭുവായി പ്രസിദ്ധൻ; അവന്റെ പ്രവർത്തനം സ്വേച്ഛാധീനമാണ്. അവനെ ചോദ്യം ചെയ്യാൻ ആരുമില്ല; അവനെ തടയുകയോ തിരികെ മാറ്റുകയോ ചെയ്യുന്നവനും ഇല്ല.

Word by Word

• सर्वज्ञः: all-knowing
• सर्वज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + ज्ञ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (masc. nom. sg.)

• एकः: one, single
• एकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; संख्याविशेषण (masc. nom. sg.)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• प्रोक्तः: is said/declared
• प्रोक्तः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate)

• स्वेच्छाधीनः: dependent on his own will
• स्वेच्छाधीनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वेच्छा + अधीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (masc. nom. sg.)

• विचेष्टितः: acting/moving (as he wills)
• विचेष्टितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + चेष्ट् (धातु) → विचेष्टित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• प्रवतर्कः: opponent/contradictor
• प्रवतर्कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + वृत्/तर्क (प्रातिपदिक; अर्थे ‘प्रतिवादक/विरोधक’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कः: who/anyone
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• अपि: even, any
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); ‘even/also/any’

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

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

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• निवर्तकः: one who can stop/turn back (him)
• निवर्तकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नि + वृत् (धातु) → निवर्तक (प्रातिपदिक; कर्तरि ण्वुल्)
• Form: कर्तरि कृदन्त (agent noun); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (frame) / Kāśī-māhātmya interlocutors (internal)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene vision of the one Lord presiding over Kāśī, unopposed and unrestrained, with devotees in reverent silence on the ghāṭs.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (implied Viśveśa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord’s will is ultimate; spiritual maturity is aligning one’s life with dharma and surrender rather than disputing divine governance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No explicit site is named; the teaching serves the Kāśī framework by exalting Viśveśa’s supreme authority.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated.