Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

पुरा पितामहं विप्र मेरुशृंगे महर्षयः । प्रोचुः प्रणम्य लोकेशं किमेकं तत्त्वमव्ययम्

Transliteration

purā pitāmahaṃ vipra meruśṛṃge maharṣayaḥ | procuḥ praṇamya lokeśaṃ kimekaṃ tattvamavyayam

Translation

В древности, о брахман, на вершине горы Меру великие риши, поклонившись Владыке миров, спросили: «Какова единая, непреходящая Реальность?»

Word by Word

• purā: formerly
• purā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (formerly/once)

• pitāmaham: the Grandfather (Brahmā)
• pitāmaham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitāmaha (पितामह प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• vipra: O brāhmaṇa
• vipra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (विप्र प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन

• meru-śṛṅge: on Meru’s peak
• meru-śṛṅge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: meru + śṛṅga (मेरु + शृङ्ग प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (शृङ्ग), सप्तमी विभक्ति (locative/7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (मेरोः शृङ्गे)

• maharṣayaḥ: great sages
• maharṣayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maharṣi (महर्षि प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• procuḥ: they said
• procuḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; प्र-उपसर्ग

• praṇamya: having bowed
• praṇamya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√nam (प्र-नम् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable); ‘having bowed’

• lokeśam: the Lord of the worlds
• lokeśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka + īśa (लोक + ईश प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (लोकानाम् ईशः)

• kim: what?
• kim: Karma (Interrogative object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (किम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• ekam: one
• ekam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (एक प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• tattvam: principle / reality
• tattvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tattva (तत्त्व प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• avyayam: imperishable
• avyayam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avyaya (अव्यय प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (contextual narrator)

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Meru
• Maharṣis
• Lokeśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True dharma begins with inquiry into the imperishable principle, approached with reverence and surrender.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mount Meru is the scene of the ancient dialogue; the broader teaching remains embedded in Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered theology.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praṇāma (bowing) to the Lord is implied as the proper approach before metaphysical inquiry.