Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

प्रधानं प्रकृतिं त्वां च मायां गुणवतीं पराम् । बुद्धि तत्त्वस्य जननीमाहुर्विकृतिवर्जिताम्

Transliteration

pradhānaṃ prakṛtiṃ tvāṃ ca māyāṃ guṇavatīṃ parām | buddhi tattvasya jananīmāhurvikṛtivarjitām

Translation

അവർ നിന്നെ പ്രധാനം, പ്രകൃതി, ഗുണസമ്പന്നമായ പരമമായ മായ എന്നും പറയുന്നു; കൂടാതെ ബുദ്ധി-തത്ത്വത്തിന്റെ ജനനി, യാതൊരു വികൃതിയും സ്പർശിക്കാത്ത ശുദ്ധസ്വരൂപിണി എന്നും പ്രഖ്യാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• pradhānam: Pradhāna (primordial matter)
• pradhānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pradhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• prakṛtim: Prakṛti (nature)
• prakṛtim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prakṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम/मध्यम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction): च (and)

• māyām: māyā (illusion/power)
• māyām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• guṇavatīm: endowed with qualities
• guṇavatīm: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guṇavatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (possessing guṇas)

• parām: supreme
• parām: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (supreme)

• buddhim: intellect (buddhi)
• buddhim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: buddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• tattvasya: of the principle/reality
• tattvasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• jananīm: mother/progenitrix
• jananīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jananī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• āhuḥ: they call/declare
• āhuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• vikṛti-varjitām: free from modification
• vikṛti-varjitām: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vikṛti (प्रातिपदिक) + varjita (कृदन्त; √vṛj/√varj)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: विकृत्या वर्जिता (devoid of modification)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (as tattva-upadeśa-bhūmi)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic, iconographic tableau: Devī as cosmic Prakṛti, surrounded by subtle symbols of the guṇas (sattva-white, rajas-red, tamas-dark) and a lotus or flame representing buddhi emerging, while Devī remains serene and untouched.

Characters & Entities

• Śakti (Devī)
• Prakṛti
• Māyā
• Guṇas
• Buddhi-tattva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śakti is the supreme ground of manifestation—source of cosmic principles—yet remains intrinsically pure and untainted.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching supports the sanctity of Avimukta in Kāśī by explaining the divine metaphysics underlying the kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal identification of Devī as Prakṛti/Māyā and origin of buddhi.