Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

नीरवध्वांतसंकेत सदनाभं तदग्रतः । मकारं स ददर्शाथ तमोरूपं विशेषतः

Transliteration

nīravadhvāṃtasaṃketa sadanābhaṃ tadagrataḥ | makāraṃ sa dadarśātha tamorūpaṃ viśeṣataḥ

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ മുന്നിൽ ‘മ’കാരം കണ്ടു—നിശ്ശബ്ദ അന്ധകാരത്തിന്റെ സൂചന, വാസസ്ഥലംപോലെ തോന്നുന്നത്; പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് അത് തമോരൂപം തന്നെയായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• nīravadhvāṃtasaṃketa: having the mark of dense darkness
• nīravadhvāṃtasaṃketa: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nīra (प्रातिपदिक) + avadhvāṃta (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃketa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः (अर्थः: नीरवत्/नीर-युक्तं ध्वान्तं यस्य सः—संकेतः/लक्षणम्; ‘having a sign/mark of dense darkness’)

• sadanābham: having the appearance of a dwelling/abode-like
• sadanābham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sadana (प्रातिपदिक) + ābha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (sadanasya ābham)

• tat: of that
• tat: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (tad- = ‘of that’)

• agrataḥ: in front (of it)
• agrataḥ: Desha-adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: agratas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (in front of)

• makāram: the syllable ‘ma’ (makāra)
• makāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: makāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

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

• dadarśa: he saw
• dadarśa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• atha: then
• atha: Kriya-visheshana (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक (then)

• tamorūpam: the form of tamas (darkness)
• tamorūpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tamas (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (tamasaḥ rūpam)

• viśeṣataḥ: especially
• viśeṣataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (especially/in particular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The ‘M’ syllable appears as a deep blue-black, quiet form with a subtle halo; it resembles a cave/abode or a closed lotus-bud; surrounding space hushes, suggesting the approach to silence after sound.

Characters & Entities

• Praṇava (Makāra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Makāra represents the tamasic, dissolving/withdrawing tendency—pointing to the inward return of manifested forms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s praise of Kāśī as a place where ultimate sound-principles are understood.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse is a contemplative mapping of Praṇava’s components.