Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अन्योन्यमर्चकास्ते वै तपोविद्याऽविशेषतः । ब्राह्मणो ब्रह्मणा सृष्टः सर्वभूतेश्वरो यतः

Transliteration

anyonyamarcakāste vai tapovidyā'viśeṣataḥ | brāhmaṇo brahmaṇā sṛṣṭaḥ sarvabhūteśvaro yataḥ

Translation

അവർ പരസ്പരം ആരാധിക്കുന്നവർ; തപസ്സിലും വിദ്യയിലും സമാനർ. ബ്രഹ്മാവാൽ സൃഷ്ടനായ ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ ആകയാൽ സർവ്വഭൂതങ്ങളിൽ പ്രഭുവെന്നപോലെ മാന്യൻ.

Word by Word

• अन्योन्यम्: mutually, one another
• अन्योन्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्योन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगः (परस्परम्)

• अर्चकाः: worshippers
• अर्चकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्चक (प्रातिपदिक; √अर्च् (धातु) + ण्वुल्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• तपोविद्या: austerity and knowledge
• तपोविद्या: Adhikarana/Reference (विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (तपश्च विद्या च)

• अविशेषतः: without distinction, equally
• अविशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अविशेषतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• ब्राह्मणः: the Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā / by Brahman
• ब्रह्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• सृष्टः: created
• सृष्टः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √सृज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थः (is created)

• सर्वभूतेश्वरः: lord of all beings
• सर्वभूतेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां भूतानाम् ईश्वरः)

• यतः: because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (causal/conjunctive: 'because/for')

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages / addressed 'muni' within the passage

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene assembly in Kāśī: a sage instructs, while learned brāhmaṇas and devotees exchange respectful gestures of worship; subtle iconography of Brahmā as creator in the background, indicating origin and authority.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through tapas and vidyā, and social-spiritual authority is grounded in sacred origin and right conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader teaching occurs within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa (Vārāṇasī/Kāśī Māhātmya framework), though this verse itself focuses on dharma and status rather than a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the emphasis is on tapas (austerity) and vidyā (sacred learning) as dharmic foundations.