Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

श्रुतिस्मृतिपुराणानां रहस्यं यस्त्वचीकरत् । महाभारतसंज्ञं च सर्वलोकमनोहरम्

Transliteration

śrutismṛtipurāṇānāṃ rahasyaṃ yastvacīkarat | mahābhāratasaṃjñaṃ ca sarvalokamanoharam

Translation

ശ്രുതി, സ്മൃതി, പുരാണങ്ങളുടെ അന്തർഗ്ഗത രഹസ്യം വെളിപ്പെടുത്തിയവൻ തന്നെയാണ്—സകലലോകഹൃദയങ്ങളെയും മോഹിപ്പിക്കുന്ന ‘മഹാഭാരതം’ എന്ന മഹാഗ്രന്ഥം രചിച്ചത്।

Word by Word

• śruti-smṛti-purāṇānām: of the Śruti, Smṛti, and Purāṇas
• śruti-smṛti-purāṇānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śruti + smṛti + purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (collective)

• rahasyam: the secret/essence
• rahasyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rahasya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• tu: indeed
• tu: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक (particle: 'indeed/but')

• acīkarat: made/compiled
• acīkarat: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; अचीकॢपत्/अचीकऱत् (intensive/perfect formation)

• mahābhārata-saṃjñam: named ‘Mahābhārata’
• mahābhārata-saṃjñam: Visheshana (Qualifier of implied work/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahābhārata + saṃjñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—महाभारत इति संज्ञा यस्य

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• sarva-loka-manoharam: delightful to all worlds/people
• sarva-loka-manoharam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva + loka + manohara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—सर्वेषां लोकानां मनोहरम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Skanda speaking within Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vyāsa unveiling the ‘secret’ essence: a luminous manuscript of Mahābhārata radiates, while personified Śruti and Smṛti stand as divine figures; beings of different realms listen, enchanted.

Characters & Entities

• Śruti
• Smṛti
• Purāṇas
• Mahābhārata
• Vyāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Mahābhārata is presented as a concentrated revelation of Dharma, distilling the essence of Veda, tradition, and Purāṇic wisdom.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; it highlights scriptural authority within the Kāśī-centered Purāṇic frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse elevates study and reception of Itihāsa–Purāṇa as a dharmic act.