Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

अविज्ञाय परं तत्त्वं किमेतत्प्रतिपाद्यते । अज्ञानं योगयुक्तस्य न चैतदुचितं तव

Transliteration

avijñāya paraṃ tattvaṃ kimetatpratipādyate | ajñānaṃ yogayuktasya na caitaducitaṃ tava

Translation

Tanpa menyedari Tattva Yang Tertinggi, apakah yang hendak engkau tegakkan ini? Kejahilan tidak layak bagi orang yang bersatu dengan yoga—dan ini juga tidak patut bagimu.

Word by Word

• अविज्ञाय: without knowing / having not known
• अविज्ञाय: Sambandha (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अ-वि-√ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘अविज्ञाय’ = having not known

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of तत्त्वम्)

• तत्त्वम्: truth/reality
• तत्त्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Interrogative object/predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थ

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; संकेतार्थ (this)

• प्रतिपाद्यते: is being propounded/explained
• प्रतिपाद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-√पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• अज्ञानम्: ignorance
• अज्ञानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• योगयुक्तस्य: of one engaged in yoga
• योगयुक्तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग + युक्त (प्रातिपदिक; √युज् + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘योगेन युक्तः’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध/negation particle

• च: and/also
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/and; here = 'also'

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उचितम्: proper/fitting
• उचितम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उचित (प्रातिपदिक; √वच्/उच्? + क्त; 'proper')
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• तव: for you/of you
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

Kratu (addressing the prior speaker)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm, authoritative sage/deity points upward (para-tattva) while the proud speaker is shown slightly abashed; the atmosphere shifts from heat to clarity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True authority comes from realization of the supreme tattva; spiritual discipline (yoga) should culminate in knowledge, not ignorance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the teaching is embedded in Kāśī’s broader mahātmya narrative context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse emphasizes inner realization and fitness of speech for a yogin.