Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

अथवा सर्व तेजांसि श्रित्वेमां ब्राह्मणीं तनुम् । शीलयंति परं धाम शातंशांत पदाप्तये

Transliteration

athavā sarva tejāṃsi śritvemāṃ brāhmaṇīṃ tanum | śīlayaṃti paraṃ dhāma śātaṃśāṃta padāptaye

Translation

หรือมิฉะนั้น รัศมีทั้งปวงได้อาศัยกายพราหมณ์นี้ แล้วสถิตอยู่ในปรมธาม เพื่อมุ่งบรรลุบทอันสงบยิ่ง สงบโดยสิ้นเชิง

Word by Word

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha + vā (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/विकल्पार्थक-अव्ययम् (or else/alternatively)

• सर्व: all
• सर्व: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘tejāṃsi’)

• तेजांसि: splendors/energies
• तेजांसि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचनम्

• श्रित्वा: having resorted to
• श्रित्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śri (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषणम् (Gerund); ‘having resorted to’

• इमाम्: this
• इमाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-विशेषणम् (this)

• ब्राह्मणीम्: brahmin (female)/brahmin-like
• ब्राह्मणीम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brāhmaṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘tanum’) ‘brahmin-like/brahmin woman’s’

• तनुम्: body/form
• तनुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tanu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचनम्

• शीलयन्ति: they cultivate/inhabit
• शीलयन्ति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śīl (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम् (they practice/inhabit)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘dhāma’)

• धाम: abode/splendor
• धाम: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचनम्

• शातम्: (reading uncertain) peaceful/ended
• शातम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया/प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचनम्; पाठभेद/दुर्बोधः—सम्भाव्यं ‘शान्तम्’ (peaceful) अथवा ‘शातम्’ (destroyed/ended)

• शान्त: calmed/peaceful
• शान्त: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śānta (प्रातिपदिक; √śam)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त-विशेषणम्; समासाङ्ग/पदविशेषणम्; पाठभेदः ‘शातंशांत’ इत्यत्र द्विपद-समुच्चयः सम्भाव्यः

• पदाप्तये: for attaining the state/goal
• पदाप्तये: Sampradāna (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक) + āpti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचनम्; ‘पद-आप्ति’ तत्पुरुषसमासः (attainment of the state/goal)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic in brahminical simplicity appears as the vessel where all splendors converge; above/around him a serene ‘parama dhāma’ aura suggests ultimate peace.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmin (brāhmaṇī tanu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual radiance finds its true completion in the supreme peace—tejas culminates in śānti and the highest state.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly Kāśī, renowned in the Skanda Purāṇa as a liberating field where the ‘supreme abode’ is contemplated and approached.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; the verse emphasizes taking refuge in dharmic embodiment and aiming for śānta-pada (the peaceful goal).