Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

व्योम्नापि शब्दगुणिना ध्रुवाराधनबुद्धिना । शब्दजातस्त्वशेषोपि तत्कर्ण शरणीकृतः

Transliteration

vyomnāpi śabdaguṇinā dhruvārādhanabuddhinā | śabdajātastvaśeṣopi tatkarṇa śaraṇīkṛtaḥ

Translation

शब्दगुणिनि व्योम्नि अपि, ध्रुवाराधनबुद्ध्या तेन, अशेषः शब्दजातः तत्कर्णं शरणीकृतः—तत्रैव लीन इवाभवत्॥

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.