Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

व्योम्नापि शब्दगुणिना ध्रुवाराधनबुद्धिना । शब्दजातस्त्वशेषोपि तत्कर्ण शरणीकृतः

Transliteration

vyomnāpi śabdaguṇinā dhruvārādhanabuddhinā | śabdajātastvaśeṣopi tatkarṇa śaraṇīkṛtaḥ

Translation

Bahkan Ākāśa, yang sifatnya sendiri ialah bunyi, dengan akal yang teguh dalam pemujaan Dhruva, menjadikan seluruh himpunan suara tanpa berbaki berlindung pada telinganya—yakni tunduk kepada pendengarannya.

Word by Word

• व्योम्ना: by the sky/ether
• व्योम्ना: Karana (instrument/agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्योमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (neuter, instrumental singular)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• शब्द-गुणिना: by that which has sound as its quality
• शब्द-गुणिना: Karana (instrument/agent)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शब्द (प्रातिपदिक) + गुणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (masculine, instrumental singular); समासः तत्पुरुषः (शब्दो गुणो यस्य = possessing the quality of sound)

• ध्रुव-आराधन-बुद्धिना: by a steadfast worship-intent
• ध्रुव-आराधन-बुद्धिना: Karana (instrument/cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक) + आराधन (प्रातिपदिक) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (feminine, instrumental singular); समासः तत्पुरुषः (ध्रुवस्य आराधनस्य बुद्धिः = resolve/intellect fixed on worship)

• शब्द-जातः: born from sound
• शब्द-जातः: Karta/Predicate (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शब्द (प्रातिपदिक) + जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) ‘शब्दात् जातः’ (born from sound)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• अशेषः: entire, without remainder
• अशेषः: Visheshana (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• तत्-कर्णम्: his ear
• तत्-कर्णम्: Karma (object, with शरणीकृतः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (masculine, accusative singular); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तस्य कर्णम् = his ear)

• शरणी-कृतः: made (it) a refuge / took refuge in
• शरणी-कृतः: Karta/Predicate (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शरणी√कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृत-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘शरणी कृतः’ (made a refuge; taken as refuge)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa norm: Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin absorbed in unwavering worship; the sky above is filled with swirling glyph-like sound-forms that stream inward and settle at his ear, as if all noise becomes a single sacred tone.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva
• Vyoman/Ākāśa (Sky)
• Śabda (sound)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional steadiness disciplines perception itself; even ‘sound in space’ is portrayed as subdued before concentrated worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī-kṣetra milieu of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where worship and tapas are celebrated as uniquely efficacious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it implies focused ārādhana (worship) and inner restraint as the practice.