Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

अनिष्पंदं महात्मानं निरानंदावलोकनम् । लोकावलोकमार्गस्थं विशुद्धज्ञानकेवलम्

Transliteration

aniṣpaṃdaṃ mahātmānaṃ nirānaṃdāvalokanam | lokāvalokamārgasthaṃ viśuddhajñānakevalam

Translation

มหาตมันนั้นนิ่งไม่ไหวติง—ประจักษ์เหนือการเล่นแห่งสุข; ตั้งอยู่บนหนทางที่โลกทั้งหลายถูกรับรู้ เป็นเพียงญาณอันบริสุทธิ์เท่านั้น

Word by Word

• अनिष्पन्दम्: motionless; without vibration
• अनिष्पन्दम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनिष्पन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• महात्मानम्: the great-souled one
• महात्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महान् आत्मा)

• निरानन्दावलोकनम्: (that which is) beyond/without bliss as an object of perception
• निरानन्दावलोकनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् (उपसर्ग) + आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + अवलोकन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (आनन्दस्य अवलोकनम्) उपसर्ग-पूर्वपद (निर्-) अर्थतः ‘आनन्द-रहितम्’ इति

• लोकावलोकमार्गस्थम्: abiding in the path of perceiving the worlds
• लोकावलोकमार्गस्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + अवलोक (प्रातिपदिक) + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लोकस्य अवलोकः) + तत्पुरुषः (अवलोकस्य मार्गः) + तत्पुरुषः (मार्गे स्थः)

• विशुद्धज्ञानकेवलम्: pure knowledge alone; solely pure consciousness
• विशुद्धज्ञानकेवलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (विशुद्धं ज्ञानं एव केवलम्)

Speaker

Deductive (Prabhāsa-māhātmya context): narrator/teacher figure

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A motionless yogin before the Liṅga; the bustling world faintly reflected like a panorama in a crystal sphere, while the central presence remains perfectly still—symbolizing the witness of worlds.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa (context)
• Śiva (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The supreme reality is the unmoving witness—pure awareness—beyond emotional fluctuation and worldly spectacle.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa kṣetra by contextual continuity within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it supports a contemplative approach (witnessing awareness).