Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

अतंद्रितमनोबुद्धींद्रिया यं सनकादयः । ध्यायंतोपि हृदाकाशे न विंदंति यथार्थतः

Transliteration

ataṃdritamanobuddhīṃdriyā yaṃ sanakādayaḥ | dhyāyaṃtopi hṛdākāśe na viṃdaṃti yathārthataḥ

Translation

Bahkan para Sanaka—yang minda, akal budi dan pancaindera sentiasa berjaga—walau bermeditasi akan-Nya di langit batin dalam hati, tetap tidak mampu mengenal-Nya menurut hakikat sebenar.

Word by Word

• अतन्द्रित: unwearied, vigilant
• अतन्द्रित: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-तन्द्रित (कृदन्त; तन्द्र्/तन्द्रा-धातु + क्त, नञ्-पूर्वक)
• Form: विशेषणम्; पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• मनः: minds
• मनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Neuter, Nominative, Plural)

• बुद्धि: intellects
• बुद्धि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Feminine, Nominative, Plural)

• इन्द्रियाः: senses
• इन्द्रियाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Neuter, Nominative, Plural)

• यम्: whom
• यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• सनकादयः: Sanaka and others
• सनकादयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सनक + आदि (प्रातिपदिक); समाहार-समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• ध्यायन्तः: meditating
• ध्यायन्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु) + शतृ (वर्तमान-कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिकः शतृ-प्रत्ययान्तः; पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Present active participle; Masc. Nom. Pl.)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः/समुच्चयार्थकः (particle: even/also)

• हृदाकाशे: in the heart-space
• हृदाकाशे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद् + आकाश (प्रातिपदिक); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हृदः आकाशः)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम् (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः (negation particle)

• विन्दन्ति: find
• विन्दन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु; लभे/ज्ञाने)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः बहुवचनम् (Present indicative, 3rd person plural)

• यथार्थतः: truly, as it is
• यथार्थतः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथार्थ + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकारवाचकः (adverb: in truth/as it really is)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Sanaka sages seated in deep meditation, eyes half-closed, focusing on a luminous ‘inner sky’ within the heart; the deity remains an ungraspable radiance beyond form, suggesting transcendence rather than a fixed icon.

Characters & Entities

• Sanaka
• Sanandana
• Sanātana
• Sanatkumāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme is ultimately beyond full conceptual grasp; even exalted sages cannot exhaust His reality through meditation alone.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse appears within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s devotional-theological frame, supporting Kāśī-māhātmya by exalting the Lord worshipped in Kāśī rather than naming a single tirtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it establishes the transcendence of the Lord as a basis for devotion and practice.