Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

देवा ऊचुः । नमो हिरण्यरूपाय ब्रह्मणे ब्रह्मरूपिणे । अविज्ञातस्वरूपाय कैवल्यायामृताय च

Transliteration

devā ūcuḥ | namo hiraṇyarūpāya brahmaṇe brahmarūpiṇe | avijñātasvarūpāya kaivalyāyāmṛtāya ca

Translation

देव म्हणाले— सुवर्णरूप ब्रह्मा, ब्रह्मस्वरूपिणे तुला नमस्कार। ज्याचे खरे स्वरूप अज्ञेय आहे, त्या कैवल्यस्वरूप व अमृतस्वरूपाला नमस्कार।

Word by Word

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (देव-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच्-धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Salutation/प्रणाम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (नमस्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: निपातवत् प्रयोग (indeclinable interjection); सामान्यतः चतुर्थी-योग्य (takes dative)

• हिरण्यरूपाय: to the golden-formed one
• हिरण्यरूपाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hiraṇya + rūpa (हिरण्य-प्रातिपदिक + रूप-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'हिरण्यस्य रूपम्'

• ब्रह्मणे: to Brahman/Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (ब्रह्मन्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• ब्रह्मरूपिणे: to the one whose form is Brahman
• ब्रह्मरूपिणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman + rūpin (ब्रह्मन्-प्रातिपदिक + रूपिन्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: 'ब्रह्मरूपः यस्य' (rūpin = 'having form')

• अविज्ञातस्वरूपाय: to the one whose true nature is unknown
• अविज्ञातस्वरूपाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a- + vijñāta + sva-rūpa (अ-उपसर्ग/नञ् + विज्ञात- (√jñā क्त) + स्वरूप-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष: 'अविज्ञातं स्वरूपं यस्य/यस्य स्वरूपम्'

• कैवल्याय: to (the) absolute aloneness/liberation
• कैवल्याय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaivalya (कैवल्य-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन (abstract noun used as epithet)

• अमृताय: to the immortal one
• अमृताय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amṛta (अमृत-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन (epithet: 'immortal/nectar-like')

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (च-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction): 'and'

Speaker

Devas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas chant a formal hymn before Brahmā: his body shines like molten gold; behind him a subtle, formless radiance suggests Brahman beyond attributes.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Brahmā
• Brahman
• Kaivalya
• Amṛta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest divine principle transcends full comprehension; surrender and reverence align one with liberation and deathlessness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tirtha is named; the hymn occurs within Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Stotra-stuti (hymnic praise) as a devotional practice is exemplified.