Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

बहिः स्थितं जलंयद्वन्नारिकेलांतरे स्थितम् । तथा ब्रह्मांडबाह्यस्थं परब्रह्मांबु जाह्नवी

Transliteration

bahiḥ sthitaṃ jalaṃyadvannārikelāṃtare sthitam | tathā brahmāṃḍabāhyasthaṃ parabrahmāṃbu jāhnavī

Translation

ดุจดังน้ำที่ดูเหมือนอยู่ภายนอก แต่แท้จริงเก็บอยู่ภายในมะพร้าว ฉันใด พระชาห์นวี—พระคงคา—ก็เป็นสายน้ำแห่งปรพรหมัน อยู่เหนือจักรวาลและก็ปรากฏอยู่ ณ ที่นี้ฉันนั้น.

Word by Word

• बहिः: outside
• बहिः: Adverbial modifier (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहिः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• स्थितम्: placed, situated
• स्थितम्: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यद्वत्: just as
• यद्वत्: Comparator (उपमान-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद्वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle: 'just as')

• नारिकेल-अन्तरे: inside a coconut
• नारिकेल-अन्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारिकेल (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नारिकेलस्य अन्तरम्)

• स्थितम्: situated
• स्थितम्: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Comparator/Adverbial (तुलना/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: 'so, likewise')

• ब्रह्माण्ड-बाह्यस्थम्: situated outside the universe-egg
• ब्रह्माण्ड-बाह्यस्थम्: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्माण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + बाह्य (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थः 'ब्रह्माण्डस्य बाह्ये स्थम्'

• परब्रह्म-अम्बु: the water of the Supreme Brahman
• परब्रह्म-अम्बु: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (परब्रह्मणः अम्बु)

• जाह्नवी: Jāhnavī (the Ganga)
• जाह्नवी: Apposition/Predicate nominative (समानााधिकरण/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाह्नवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience within Kāśīkhaṇḍa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic teaching tableau: a coconut split open revealing water, juxtaposed with Gaṅgā flowing through Kāśī while a cosmic backdrop shows her as a luminous stream beyond the universe; a sage explains the paradox.

Characters & Entities

• Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)
• Parabrahman
• Brahmāṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Gaṅgā is portrayed as transcendent and immanent—rooted in the Supreme Reality yet accessible as sacred water in the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā (Jāhnavī) as the paramount tīrtha, especially within the Kāśī frame of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse provides a theological basis for reverence toward Gaṅgā-jala as supremely sanctifying.