Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

विधे सर्वविधेयानि त्वमेव विदधासि यत् । इति चेति च वक्तव्यं त्वय्यपार्थमतोखिलम्

Transliteration

vidhe sarvavidheyāni tvameva vidadhāsi yat | iti ceti ca vaktavyaṃ tvayyapārthamatokhilam

Translation

హే విధే! సమస్త విధేయకార్యాలను నీవే నిర్వహించుచున్నావు; కనుక నీ విషయమున ‘ఇట్లు’ లేదా ‘యది ఇట్లు’ అని పలుకుట నిజముగా అర్థహీనము; అందుచేత అట్టి షరతుల మాటలు వ్యర్థమే.

Word by Word

• vidhe: O Vidhā (O Creator/Brahmā)
• vidhe: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhā (धातु √vidhā/√vidh; प्रातिपदिक: विधि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; संबोधन-प्रयोगः (vocative address)

• sarva-vidheyāni: all things to be ordained/arranged
• sarva-vidheyāni: Karma/Predicate nominative (Object/Complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + vidheya (प्रातिपदिक; √vidh + यत्/य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वस्य विधेयानि)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuzmad (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• eva: indeed/alone
• eva: Modifier (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• vidadhāsi: you arrange/ordain
• vidadhāsi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhā (धा धातु) उपसर्ग: वि-
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु-प्रयोगः: विदधाति (to arrange/ordain)

• yat: since/that
• yat: Connector (Relation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-प्रत्ययार्थक-अव्यय (relative particle ‘since/that’)

• iti: thus
• iti: Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• iti: thus
• iti: Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• vaktavyam: is to be said/should be said
• vaktavyam: Kriya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु) + तव्य (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive/obligative), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; भावे/कर्तरि प्रयोगः: ‘वक्तव्यम्’ = ‘should be said’

• tvayi: in you/with respect to you
• tvayi: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuzmad (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• apārtham: meaningless/without purpose
• apārtham: Predicate (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-pārtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; नञ्-समास/उपसर्ग-निषेधः: ‘अर्थहीनम्’

• ataḥ: therefore
• ataḥ: Connector (Cause/Result)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/तस्मात्-अर्थक-अव्यय (therefore/from that)

• akhilam: entire/all
• akhilam: Predicate (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akhila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vidhi/Brahmā (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative address to Vidhi/Brahmā: the speaker asserts that all accomplishment is already effected by the Ordainer; the setting is an austere, luminous sacred ambience suggestive of Kāśī’s metaphysical supremacy.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Vidhe)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine ordinance is supreme; speculative or conditional speech becomes empty when addressed to the cosmic Ordainer.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse serves as a doctrinal preface; the surrounding passage proceeds to glorify Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as the supreme sacred realm.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; it emphasizes right understanding and reverent speech regarding divine agency.