Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

यो वै जगदधिष्ठाता सोधिष्ठातात्र सर्वगः । सर्वदृक्सर्वदः शर्वः कथं न ज्ञायते विभो

Transliteration

yo vai jagadadhiṣṭhātā sodhiṣṭhātātra sarvagaḥ | sarvadṛksarvadaḥ śarvaḥ kathaṃ na jñāyate vibho

Translation

ജഗത്തിന്റെ അധിഷ്ഠാതാവായവൻ തന്നെയാണ് ഇവിടെക്കും അധിഷ്ഠാതാവ്, സർവ്വവ്യാപി. സർവ്വദർശി, സർവ്വദാതാവായ ശർവ്വൻ—ഹേ വിഭോ, അവൻ എങ്ങനെ അറിയപ്പെടാതിരിക്കും?

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), खल्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थक

• जगत्-अधिष्ठाता: the ruler/overseer of the world
• जगत्-अधिष्ठाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिष्ठातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—जगतः अधिष्ठाता (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अधिष्ठाता: the governor/overseer
• अधिष्ठाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिष्ठातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Avyaya (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• सर्वगः: all-pervading
• सर्वगः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—सर्वं गच्छति/सर्वत्र गच्छति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• सर्वदृक्: the all-seeing one
• सर्वदृक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + दृश् (धातु/प्रातिपदिक-दृक्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—सर्वं पश्यति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• सर्वदः: the giver of all
• सर्वदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + द (धातु/प्रातिपदिक-द)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—सर्वं ददाति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• शर्वः: Śarva (Śiva)
• शर्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; शिवनाम

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Avyaya (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• न: not
• न: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• ज्ञायते: is known/recognized
• ज्ञायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), आत्मनेपद

• विभो: O mighty one
• विभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

Kārpaṭika

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśvara in Kāśī (implied)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājendra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A rhetorical, devotional assertion: Śarva is the universal presider and also presides here; the speaker challenges the listener’s lack of recognition.

Characters & Entities

• Śarva (Śiva)
• Adhiṣṭhātā (presiding deity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recognize Śiva as the universal and local presiding divinity; spiritual blindness is failing to see the ever-present Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, as the seat where the universal Lord is explicitly present as the adhiṣṭhātā (Viśveśvara/Śarva).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse emphasizes jñāna (recognition) and devotion.