Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अभिधत्ते स चकितं यदस्तीति श्रुतिः पुनः । सत्यं ज्ञानमनंतं च यदानंदं परं महः

Transliteration

abhidhatte sa cakitaṃ yadastīti śrutiḥ punaḥ | satyaṃ jñānamanaṃtaṃ ca yadānaṃdaṃ paraṃ mahaḥ

Translation

ശ്രുതിയും അത്ഭുതത്തോടെ ‘അത് ഉണ്ട്’ എന്നു മാത്രമേ പ്രഖ്യാപിക്കൂ. ആ പരമപ്രകാശം സത്യം, ജ്ഞാനം, അനന്തം—ആനന്ദസ്വരൂപം.

Word by Word

• अभिधत्ते: declares/expresses
• अभिधत्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि+धा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• स: it/that
• स: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• चकितम्: with astonishment
• चकितम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चकित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् प्रयोग (accusative of manner)

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative pronoun/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/निरूपणार्थक-अव्यय (quotative)

• श्रुतिः: the Vedic revelation (Śruti)
• श्रुतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पुनः: again/further
• पुनः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/पुनरावृत्तिवाचक-अव्यय (again/further)

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Visheshya (Predicate/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेष्य-निर्देश (predicate nominative sense)

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Visheshya (Predicate/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• अनन्तम्: infinite
• अनन्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ- (निषेध) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः (endless)

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

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative pronoun/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• आनन्दम्: bliss
• आनन्दम्: Visheshya (Predicate/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• महः: great light/splendor
• महः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Jyoti-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Seekers hearing Kāśī’s glory

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A beam of pure light rising above the Gaṅgā, with Vedic sages shown in reverent astonishment; the word ‘asti’ suggested as a subtle inscription in the aura, not as loud text.

Characters & Entities

• Śruti (Veda)
• Brahman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scripture points to the Supreme as pure being—truth-consciousness-infinity, experienced as blissful radiance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where Kāśī’s spiritual atmosphere is tied to Upaniṣadic realization.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is specified; it is a doctrinal statement aligned with Śruti.