Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

स्वयंवेद्यः परं ज्योतिः सर्वस्य हृदि संस्थितः । योगिगम्यस्त्वनाख्येयो यः प्रमाणैकगोचरः

Transliteration

svayaṃvedyaḥ paraṃ jyotiḥ sarvasya hṛdi saṃsthitaḥ | yogigamyastvanākhyeyo yaḥ pramāṇaikagocaraḥ

Translation

ആ പരമജ്യോതി സ്വയംവേദ്യം; അത് എല്ലാവരുടെയും ഹൃദയത്തിൽ സ്ഥാപിതമാണ്. യോഗികൾക്ക് ഗമ്യമെങ്കിലും അനാഖ്യേയം—പ്രത്യക്ഷപ്രമാണത്തിനേ മാത്രം ഗോചരമാണ്.

Word by Word

• स्वयंवेद्यः: self-known, knowable by oneself
• स्वयंवेद्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय) + वेद्य (कृदन्त; विद् धातु → वेद्य, यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘स्वयमेव वेद्यः’

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ज्योतिः इत्यस्य विशेषण

• ज्योतिः: light, radiance
• ज्योतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सर्वस्य: of all
• सर्वस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• हृदि: in the heart
• हृदि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद्/हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• संस्थितः: situated, established
• संस्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) → संस्थित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (kta); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• योगिगम्यः: attainable by yogis
• योगिगम्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योगि + गम्य (कृदन्त; गम् धातु → गम्य, यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘योगिभिः गम्यः’

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• अनाख्येयः: indescribable
• अनाख्येयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + आख्येय (कृदन्त; आ + ख्या धातु → आख्येय, यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘न आख्यातुं शक्यः’

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक सर्वनाम

• प्रमाणैकगोचरः: accessible only to (true) means of knowledge
• प्रमाणैकगोचरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रमाण + एक + गोचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘प्रमाणस्यैकस्य गोचरः’ (only within the range of valid means of knowledge)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages / internal Kāśī audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin seated near a Kāśī shrine; within his chest a radiant lotus-light, mirrored by a temple lamp—outer and inner light unified.

Characters & Entities

• Param Jyotis (Supreme Light)
• Hṛdaya (Heart)
• Yogins

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Divine is not merely distant; it shines within the heart and is realized through yogic inwardness and direct experience.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; within Kāśī Khaṇḍa, the verse complements Kāśī’s fame as a mokṣa-kṣetra by emphasizing inner realization.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse points toward yogic practice and contemplative realization.