Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

वेदेषूपनिषद्रूपा मंत्राणां प्रणवोह्यसि । अक्षराणामकारोसि यज्वनां सोमरूपधृक्

Transliteration

vedeṣūpaniṣadrūpā maṃtrāṇāṃ praṇavohyasi | akṣarāṇāmakārosi yajvanāṃ somarūpadhṛk

Translation

ବେଦମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ତୁମେ ଉପନିଷଦ୍‌ସ୍ୱରୂପ; ମନ୍ତ୍ରମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ତୁମେ ପ୍ରଣବ ‘ଓଁ’। ଅକ୍ଷରମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ତୁମେ ‘ଅ’; ଏବଂ ଯଜ୍ଞକର୍ତ୍ତାମାନଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ ତୁମେ ସୋମରୂପ ଧାରଣ କର।

Word by Word

• वेदेषु: in/among the Vedas
• वेदेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन

• उपनिषद्रूपा: having the form of the Upaniṣads
• उपनिषद्रूपा: Pradhana-predicative (विधेय/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपनिषद् + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: उपनिषदां रूपम्)

• मन्त्राणाम्: of mantras
• मन्त्राणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• प्रणवः: Praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणवः: Pradhana-predicative (विधेय/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये निपात (particle: indeed/for)

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अक्षराणाम्: of letters/syllables
• अक्षराणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• अकारः: the letter ‘a’
• अकारः: Pradhana-predicative (विधेय/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यज्वनाम्: of sacrificers
• यज्वनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• सोमरूपधृक्: bearing the form of Soma
• सोमरूपधृक्: Pradhana-predicative (विधेय/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सोम + रूप + धृक् (प्रातिपदिक; धृ (धातु) + क्विप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कृदन्त (धृ-धातु, क्विप्: धृक् = धारयिता); तत्पुरुष-समास (सोमस्य रूपं धारयतीति)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa default dialogue frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A scholastic-sacrificial synthesis: a sage in Kāśī recites Upaniṣadic lines; the Praṇava ‘Oṃ’ appears as a luminous glyph; the letter ‘A’ radiates at the base of a phonemic mandala; Soma appears as a moon/nectar vessel above a yajña fire, linking knowledge and ritual.

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• Upaniṣad
• Praṇava (Oṃ)
• A-kāra
• Soma
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Divine is the inner essence of revelation (Upaniṣads), mantra (Oṃ), language (A-kāra), and sacrificial sanctity (Soma).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; within Kāśīkhaṇḍa it supports Kāśī’s identity as a preeminent place for mantra, jñāna, and mokṣa-oriented practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it references yajña culture via Soma and points to Praṇava-japa (Oṃ) as an implied devotional focus.