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Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

वेदास्त्वां न च विंदंति किमात्मक इति प्रभो । प्राप्ताः शतपथत्वं च नेतिनेतीतिवादिनः

vedāstvāṃ na ca viṃdaṃti kimātmaka iti prabho | prāptāḥ śatapathatvaṃ ca netinetītivādinaḥ

“โอ้พระผู้เป็นเจ้า แม้พระเวทก็ยังไม่อาจหยั่งรู้พระองค์ได้ครบถ้วนว่าแท้จริงพระสภาวะเป็นเช่นไร; กล่าวว่า ‘เนติ เนติ’ (ไม่ใช่นี่ ไม่ใช่นั่น) แล้วจึงดำเนินไปนับร้อยหนทาง”

वेदाःthe Vedas
वेदाः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootवेद (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन
त्वाम्you
त्वाम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootयुष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formद्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
not
:
Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-अव्यय
and
:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय
विन्दन्तिfind/know
विन्दन्ति:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootविद् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्; धातु: विद् (to find/know)
किमात्मकःof what nature
किमात्मकः:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम) + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (किम् आत्मा यस्य/किम्-स्वरूपः)
इतिthus
इति:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति (अव्यय)
Formउद्धरण/इत्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)
प्रभोO Lord
प्रभो:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन
प्राप्ताःhaving reached/attained
प्राप्ताः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-आप् (धातु) + त (कृदन्त)
Formभूतकृदन्त (past participle) ‘प्राप्त’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (having attained)
शतपथत्वम्the state of ‘a hundred paths’ (many approaches)
शतपथत्वम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootशत (संख्या) + पथ (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (प्रत्यय)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (शतं पथाः/शतपथ) + त्व-प्रत्यय (state of)
and
:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय
नेति‘not (this)’
नेति:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन + इति (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध + उद्धरण; वाक्यांश (neti = ‘not thus’)
नेति‘not (this)’
नेति:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन + इति (अव्यय)
Formपुनरुक्ति (repetition)
इतिthus
इति:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति (अव्यय)
Formउद्धरण-अव्यय
वादिनःspeakers/propounders
वादिनः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootवादिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

Pūtātmā

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Listener: (contextual) frame audience

Scene: Devotee articulates Upaniṣadic awe: Vedas cannot fully fathom Śiva; ‘neti neti’ suggested through symbolic scrolls and branching paths around a radiant, formless-centered Śiva presence.

P
Pūtātmā
Ś
Śiva
V
Vedas
N
Neti-neti

FAQs

The Supreme cannot be exhausted by words or concepts; scripture points toward Him through negation and multiple approaches.

Kāśī is the implied sacred milieu of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where the ineffability of Śiva undergirds the city’s holiness.

None directly; the verse is theological praise emphasizing the limits of verbal description.