Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

अकिंचित्करतां प्राप्तः स सहस्रकरोप्यरम् । विधिर्विधानदक्षोपि न मे स सविधोभवत्

Transliteration

akiṃcitkaratāṃ prāptaḥ sa sahasrakaropyaram | vidhirvidhānadakṣopi na me sa savidhobhavat

Translation

แม้พระอาทิตย์ผู้เลื่องชื่อว่ามีรัศมีพันสาย ก็ถูกนำให้ถึงความไร้หนทาง; และแม้พระวิธิ (พรหมา) ผู้ชำนาญในบัญญัติทั้งหลาย ก็หาได้เป็นความช่วยเหลืออันมีผลแก่ข้าพเจ้าไม่

Word by Word

• अकिंचित्करताम्: state of being insignificant/doing nothing
• अकिंचित्करताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकिंचित्करता (प्रातिपदिक; अ + किंचित् + करता)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative) एकवचन; गत्यर्थक-प्राप्ति-क्रियायाः कर्म (object of motion/attainment)

• प्राप्तः: having attained
• प्राप्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक-विशेषण (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative) एकवचन; ‘स’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति एकवचन (he)

• सहस्रकरः: the thousand-handed one
• सहस्रकरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘यस्य सहस्रं कराः सः’

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थे (also/even)

• अरम्: enough; sufficiently
• अरम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अरम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, पर्याप्त्यर्थक (enough/sufficiently)

• विधिः: Brahmā / the Ordainer
• विधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति एकवचन

• विधानदक्षः: skilled in arranging/ordaining
• विधानदक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विधान + दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति एकवचन; ‘विधिः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-भावेन—विधाने दक्षः

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अपि-अर्थे (even/also)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• मे: of me / my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive) एकवचन; मम (of me)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति एकवचन

• सविधः: near/at hand
• सविधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति एकवचन; ‘सः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; ‘सविध’ = समीपस्थ (nearby)

• अभवत्: was/became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śiva (Deveśa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A distressed deity (contextually a great lord) reflects that even Sūrya with a thousand rays and Brahmā skilled in ordinances cannot help; the cosmos appears dimmed, emphasizing Kāśī’s overriding power.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Sūrya (Bhānumān)
• Brahmā (Vidhi)
• Vārāṇasī (implied context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the greatest cosmic powers are secondary to Śiva’s will; in Kāśī’s matters, divine authority and dharma converge under Mahādeva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is the implied sacred center whose unfolding events prompt Śiva’s concern and response.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse is narrative, emphasizing divine incapacity without Śiva’s direct intervention.