Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

समाधेः परतो ज्योतिरनंतं स्वप्रकाशकम् । तस्मिन्दृष्टे क्रियाकांडं यातायातं निवर्तते

Transliteration

samādheḥ parato jyotiranaṃtaṃ svaprakāśakam | tasmindṛṣṭe kriyākāṃḍaṃ yātāyātaṃ nivartate

Translation

സമാധിക്കപ്പുറം അനന്തവും സ്വയംപ്രകാശവുമായ ജ്യോതി നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു. അതിന്റെ ദർശനത്തോടെ ക്രിയാകാണ്ഡവും ആവാഗമനമായ ജന്മചക്രവും നിവൃത്തമാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• समाधेः: of samādhi (meditative absorption)
• समाधेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समाधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive); एकवचन

• परतः: beyond; higher than
• परतः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परतस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गार्थक/अव्यय (adverbial: 'beyond/after')

• ज्योतिः: light; radiance
• ज्योतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• अनन्तम्: endless; infinite
• अनन्तम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ज्योतिः)

• स्वप्रकाशकम्: self-luminous
• स्वप्रकाशकम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व + प्रकाशक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (self-illuminating) विशेषण (qualifying ज्योतिः)

• तस्मिन्: in that (state/thing)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative); एकवचन

• दृष्टे: when (that) is seen
• दृष्टे: Adhikarana (Sati-saptami/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative); एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; भावे/सति-सप्तमी (when it is seen)

• क्रियाकाण्डम्: the ritualistic section (of actions)
• क्रियाकाण्डम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया + काण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्राय तत्पुरुष (section of ritual action)

• यातायातम्: coming and going; transmigration
• यातायातम्: Karta (Apposition to subject/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात + आयात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (going and coming)

• निवर्तते: ceases; turns back
• निवर्तते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (typal)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin seated in deep meditation on the ghāṭs of Kāśī; behind the closed eyes a boundless, self-radiant orb of light expands, while ritual implements (ladles, vessels, fire-altar) fade into stillness; the river flows quietly, symbolizing saṃsāra stilled.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Jyotis
• Samādhi
• Mokṣa
• Saṃsāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Realization of the self-luminous Absolute ends rebirth and renders ritual action secondary to direct knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the broader sacral context often associated with liberation; this verse stresses the liberating vision itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; instead, it states that upon realization, dependence on kriyākāṇḍa falls away.