Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

वेदयेद्यदिचात्मानं स एव परमेश्वरः । तदा विंदंति ब्रह्माद्याः स्वेच्छयैव न तं विदुः

Transliteration

vedayedyadicātmānaṃ sa eva parameśvaraḥ | tadā viṃdaṃti brahmādyāḥ svecchayaiva na taṃ viduḥ

Translation

ആത്മാവിനെ യഥാർത്ഥമായി അറിയുന്നവൻ തന്നെയാണ് പരമേശ്വരൻ. അപ്പോൾ മാത്രമേ ബ്രഹ്മാദി ദേവന്മാർ ആ സത്യത്തെ ‘ലഭിക്കു’ക; സ്വന്തം ഇച്ഛ മാത്രംകൊണ്ട് അവനെ അറിയുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• vedayet: should know / should make known
• vedayet: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (विद् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/benedictive), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); causative sense possible in context (वेदयेत् = ‘should make known/should know’)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/शर्तसूचक अव्यय (conditional particle)

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

• ātmānam: the Self
• ātmānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (आत्मन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (nominative/1st), एकवचन

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• parameśvaraḥ: the Supreme Lord
• parameśvaraḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parama + īśvara (परम + ईश्वर प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (परमः ईश्वरः)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• vindanti: they find / they know
• vindanti: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (विद् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (plural)

• brahmādyāḥ: Brahmā and others
• brahmādyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmā + ādi (ब्रह्मा + आदि प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (ब्रह्मा-आदयः = ‘Brahmā and others’)

• sva-icchayā: by (their) own will
• sva-icchayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva + icchā (स्व + इच्छा प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य इच्छा)

• eva: only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphasis)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• viduḥ: they know
• viduḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (विद् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇa interlocutor (as addressed in nearby verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative seeker in Kāśī realizes the Self as Parameśvara; in the background, Brahmā and devas appear humbled, ‘finding’ the truth only after inner awakening.

Characters & Entities

• Parameśvara (Śiva)
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True realization is inward—knowing the Self reveals the Supreme; mere status or effort without realization does not grant knowledge of Him.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the doctrinal setting; the teaching supports Kāśī’s role as a place of liberation through knowledge and grace.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is stated; the prescription is ātma-vedana—inner realization.