Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

न च पद्मासनाद्योगो न वा घ्राणाग्रवीक्षणात् । न शौचे न न मौनेन न मंत्राराधनैरपि

Transliteration

na ca padmāsanādyogo na vā ghrāṇāgravīkṣaṇāt | na śauce na na maunena na maṃtrārādhanairapi

Translation

Hindi rin nakakamtan ang yoga sa lotus na upo lamang, ni sa pagtitig sa dulo ng ilong. Hindi sa mga ritwal ng paglilinis, hindi sa pananahimik, ni kahit sa pagsamba sa mga mantra lamang.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• पद्मासनात्: from padmāsana (lotus posture)
• पद्मासनात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म + आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः—पद्मस्य आसनम् (lotus-posture seat)

• योगः: yoga
• योगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• वा: or
• वा: Disjunction (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय

• घ्राणाग्रवीक्षणात्: from gazing at the tip of the nose
• घ्राणाग्रवीक्षणात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घ्राण + अग्र + वीक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः—घ्राणस्य अग्रं (nose-tip) तस्य वीक्षणम् (gazing)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• शौचे: in/through purity
• शौचे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरणे (in purity)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (पुनरुक्त-निषेध)

• मौनेन: by silence
• मौनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• मन्त्राराधनैः: by mantra-propitiations
• मन्त्राराधनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र + आराधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—मन्त्राणाम् आराधनम् (worship/propitiation of mantras)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Emphasis/Addition (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (even)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Seekers inclined to technique/ritual (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin in padmāsana with nose-tip gaze shown as a preliminary layer; behind/within, a subtler depiction of the same yogin dissolving into inner stillness; ritual purity acts and mantra-japa appear as peripheral motifs, secondary to inner absorption.

Characters & Entities

• Padmāsana
• Nāsa-agra-dṛṣṭi
• Śauca
• Mauna
• Mantrārādhana
• Yoga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Techniques and observances are supports, but yoga is not fulfilled by them alone without deeper inner steadiness and realization.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is embedded in Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī setting, aligning yogic attainment with the city’s liberation-centered ethos.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It negates sufficiency of śauca, mauna, and mantrārādhana as standalone means; it implies the need for deeper practice.