Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

यस्य निःश्वसितं वेदाः स षडंगपदक्रमाः । तस्य देवस्य महिमा महान्कैरवगम्यते

Transliteration

yasya niḥśvasitaṃ vedāḥ sa ṣaḍaṃgapadakramāḥ | tasya devasya mahimā mahānkairavagamyate

Translation

ആരുടെയോ നിശ്വാസം തന്നെയാണ് വേദങ്ങൾ—ഷഡംഗങ്ങളും പദക്രമാദി ക്രമപാഠങ്ങളും സഹിതം—അത്തരം ദേവന്റെ മഹത്തായ മഹിമയെ ആര്, എങ്ങനെ ഗ്രഹിക്കും?

Word by Word

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive, 6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• निःश्वसितम्: exhalation/breath
• निःश्वसितम्: Predicate (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निḥ-श्वस् (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle used as noun): ‘that which is breathed out’

• वेदाः: the Vedas
• वेदाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सः: they/that (they are)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• षड्-अङ्ग-पद-क्रमाः: with the six limbs and ordered recitation
• षड्-अङ्ग-पद-क्रमाः: Predicate (Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षट् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), बहुवचन (Plural); बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः—षडङ्गेषु पदक्रमाः (having the word-order/recitation with six limbs)

• तस्य: of that (Lord)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive, 6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• देवस्य: of the god
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive, 6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• महिमा: greatness/glory
• महिमा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• महान्: great
• महान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (महिमा इति)

• कैः: by whom / by what (means)
• कैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental, 3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• अवगम्यते: is understood/known
• अवगम्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive); √गम् with उपसर्ग अव

Speaker

Agnibiṃdu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśīkṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The deity’s cosmic form exhales luminous syllables that become the four Vedas; around them appear the six Vedāṅgas as personified sages; reciters chant in ordered pāṭha-kramas in a Kāśī setting.

Characters & Entities

• Vedas
• Vedāṅgas (six auxiliaries)
• Pāṭha traditions (pada/krama)
• God (Viṣṇu/Govinda implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scripture itself is portrayed as arising from the Divine; therefore God’s greatness surpasses even the highest textual learning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The hymn is situated in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa milieu, near Pañcanadā, reinforcing Kāśī’s sacred atmosphere for such realization.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it references Vedic recitation traditions (pada/krama) to emphasize the Lord’s supremacy over ritual knowledge.