Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

निरुपाधिं निराकारं निर्विकारं निरंजनम् । निर्मलं निरहंकारं निष्प्रपंचं निजोदयम्

Transliteration

nirupādhiṃ nirākāraṃ nirvikāraṃ niraṃjanam | nirmalaṃ nirahaṃkāraṃ niṣprapaṃcaṃ nijodayam

Translation

അവൻ ഉപാധിരഹിതൻ, നിരാകാരൻ, നിർവികാരൻ, നിരഞ്ജനൻ; നിർമ്മലൻ, നിരഹങ്കാരൻ, പ്രപഞ്ചാതീതൻ, സ്വപ്രകാശമായി സ്വയം ഉദിതൻ.

Word by Word

• nirupādhim: free from limiting adjuncts
• nirupādhim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirupādhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः (उपाधि-रहितः)

• nirākāram: formless
• nirākāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirākāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः (आकार-रहितः)

• nirvikāram: unchanging
• nirvikāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirvikāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः (विकार-रहितः)

• niraṃjanam: stainless, untainted
• niraṃjanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niraṃjana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः (अञ्जन/मल-रहितः)

• nirmalam: pure
• nirmalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirmala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः (मल-रहितः)

• nirahaṃkāram: without ego
• nirahaṃkāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirahaṃkāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः (अहंकार-रहितः)

• niṣprapaṃcam: free from worldly manifoldness
• niṣprapaṃcam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niṣprapaṃca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; निः/निष्-तत्पुरुषः (प्रपञ्च-रहितः)

• nijodayam: of innate/own arising (self-luminous)
• nijodayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nija + udaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (निजः उदयः यस्य/निज-उदयः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Aniconic, luminous presence above Kāśī’s ghāṭs and the Viśvanātha precinct—light without form, dissolving ego and worldly multiplicity into serene radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Oṃkāra/Praṇava (implied)
• Brahman (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation is tied to realizing the formless, changeless, ego-free reality indicated by Oṃ/Praṇava.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred locus where such realization is celebrated as especially accessible and potent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the verse supports nirguṇa contemplation and Praṇava-oriented meditation.