Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

विश्वरूपमयाकारं सगुणं वापि निर्गुणम् । अनाख्यनादसदनं परमानंदविग्रहम्

Transliteration

viśvarūpamayākāraṃ saguṇaṃ vāpi nirguṇam | anākhyanādasadanaṃ paramānaṃdavigraham

Translation

അത് വിശ്വരൂപമയമായ ആകാരം—സഗുണവും നിർഗുണവും; അവാച്യനായ നാദത്തിന്റെ ആലയം, പരമാനന്ദത്തിന്റെ ദിവ്യവിഗ്രഹം.

Word by Word

• विश्व-रूप-मय-आकारम्: having a form filled with the universe’s shapes
• विश्व-रूप-मय-आकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक) + आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष “विश्वस्य रूपं मयः (पूर्णः) आकारः”

• स-गुणम्: with attributes
• स-गुणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/अव्यय-प्राय) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष “गुणैः सह/युक्तः”

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive particle)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — समुच्चय/अपि-कार (emphatic/additive particle)

• निर्गुणम्: without attributes
• निर्गुणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अनाख्य-नाद-सदनम्: abode of unutterable sound
• अनाख्य-नाद-सदनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनाख्य (प्रातिपदिक) + नाद (प्रातिपदिक) + सदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष “अनाख्यः नादः यस्य/यत्र, तस्य सदनम्” (abode of unutterable sound)

• परम-आनन्द-विग्रहम्: embodiment of supreme bliss
• परम-आनन्द-विग्रहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + विग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय “परमः आनन्दः एव विग्रहः”

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame; not explicit in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A boundless form that is the universe itself appears—at once with attributes and beyond them—an indescribable abode of nāda, radiating supreme bliss.

Characters & Entities

• Nāda (mystic sound)
• Viśvarūpa (cosmic form)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ultimate reality can be approached as both saguṇa and nirguṇa, and is realized as nāda and supreme bliss.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the doctrinal stage where nāda-brahman and liberation-oriented metaphysics are proclaimed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction appears; it is a contemplative description of the supreme principle.