Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

अंतर्दधे पराख्यं यद्ब्रह्मसर्वंगमव्ययम्

Transliteration

aṃtardadhe parākhyaṃ yadbrahmasarvaṃgamavyayam

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ‘പര’ എന്നു വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്ന, സർവവ്യാപിയും അവ്യയവുമായ ബ്രഹ്മം അന്തർധാനം ചെയ്ത് അപ്രകടമായി.

Word by Word

• अन्तर्दधे: withdrew/disappeared
• अन्तर्दधे: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु) with अन्तर्- (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; अर्थः 'disappeared/withdrew (hid within)'

• पराख्यम्: called 'Parā' / the transcendent-named
• पराख्यम्: Karma (Object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पराख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative pronoun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• ब्रह्म: Brahman
• ब्रह्म: Samasa-member (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (समासे पूर्वपद)

• सर्वंगम्: all-pervading
• सर्वंगम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (प्रातिपदिक; from √गम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष ('all-going', all-pervading)

• अव्ययम्: imperishable
• अव्ययम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous presence gradually withdrawing into a subtle point of light, leaving a vast tranquil space; faint outline of a liṅga or sacred city silhouette dissolves into radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Brahman (Parā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme can be spoken of as manifest or concealed; transcendence remains imperishable even when unmanifest.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is situated in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative world of Kāśī, where such supreme doctrine is taught.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes a metaphysical withdrawal/concealment.