Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

ततस्तदैकलेनापि स्वैरं विहरतामया । स्वविग्रहात्स्वयं सृष्टा स्वशरीरानपायिनी

Transliteration

tatastadaikalenāpi svairaṃ viharatāmayā | svavigrahātsvayaṃ sṛṣṭā svaśarīrānapāyinī

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ഞാൻ അവിടെ ഒറ്റയ്ക്കായി സ്വേച്ഛയായി വിഹരിക്കുമ്പോൾ, അവൾ—എന്റെ തന്നെ ദിവ്യസ്വരൂപത്തിൽ നിന്നു സ്വയം സൃഷ്ടയായി—താനേ പ്രത്യക്ഷപ്പെട്ടു; സ്വന്തം ദേഹത്തിൽ നിന്നു ഒരിക്കലും വേർപെടാത്ത, നിത്യ സ്വയംസിദ്ധ.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb): तदनन्तरम् (thereafter)

• tad: that
• tad: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन (singular)

• ekalena: by the single (one)
• ekalena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ekala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; विशेषण (instrumental: by/with the single one)

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): अपि (also/even)

• svairam: freely
• svairam: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svaira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative): स्वेच्छया (freely, at will)

• viharata: sport/roam
• viharata: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi√hṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन (plural); परस्मैपद

• amayā: without illusion
• amayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a (नञ्-उपसर्ग) + mayā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष: अ-मया = माया-रहितया (without māyā/illusion)

• sva-vigrahāt: from her own form
• sva-vigrahāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + vigraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: स्वस्य विग्रहः (one’s own form/body)

• svayam: by herself
• svayam: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (reflexive adverb): स्वयं (by oneself)

• sṛṣṭā: created
• sṛṣṭā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sṛj (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; ‘created’

• sva-śarīrā: of her own body
• sva-śarīrā: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + śarīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: स्वस्य शरीरम् (of one’s own body)

• anapāyinī: not departing
• anapāyinī: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an- (नञ्) + apāyinī (प्रातिपदिक; from apa√i/√i with उपसर्ग apa-, ‘depart’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष: अनपायिनी = न अपायिनी (non-departing, not leaving)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Pañcakrośī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Pot-born)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solitary divine wanderer in Kāśī; from his own radiant form the Goddess appears, self-arisen, standing close yet self-subsistent—an icon of inseparable companionship within the luminous cityscape of ghāṭas and temples.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Śakti (Devī)
• Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Divine Feminine (Śakti) is self-manifest and inseparable from the Supreme Lord, indicating non-dual divine unity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-kṣetra in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), celebrated as the Lord’s eternal playground.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; the verse establishes theology behind Kāśī’s sanctity.