Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

ततस्तदैकलेनापि स्वैरं विहरतामया । स्वविग्रहात्स्वयं सृष्टा स्वशरीरानपायिनी

Transliteration

tatastadaikalenāpi svairaṃ viharatāmayā | svavigrahātsvayaṃ sṛṣṭā svaśarīrānapāyinī

Translation

پھر جب میں وہاں اکیلا ہی آزادانہ گھومتا پھرتا تھا، تو وہ—میرے ہی الٰہی وجود سے خود ظہور پذیر—خود ہی ظاہر ہوئیں، اپنے ہی جسم سے کبھی جدا نہ ہونے والی (ہمیشہ خود قائم و برقرار)۔

Word by Word

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb): तदनन्तरम् (thereafter)

• tad: that
• tad: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन (singular)

• ekalena: by the single (one)
• ekalena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ekala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; विशेषण (instrumental: by/with the single one)

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): अपि (also/even)

• svairam: freely
• svairam: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svaira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative): स्वेच्छया (freely, at will)

• viharata: sport/roam
• viharata: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi√hṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन (plural); परस्मैपद

• amayā: without illusion
• amayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a (नञ्-उपसर्ग) + mayā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष: अ-मया = माया-रहितया (without māyā/illusion)

• sva-vigrahāt: from her own form
• sva-vigrahāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + vigraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: स्वस्य विग्रहः (one’s own form/body)

• svayam: by herself
• svayam: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (reflexive adverb): स्वयं (by oneself)

• sṛṣṭā: created
• sṛṣṭā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sṛj (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; ‘created’

• sva-śarīrā: of her own body
• sva-śarīrā: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + śarīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: स्वस्य शरीरम् (of one’s own body)

• anapāyinī: not departing
• anapāyinī: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an- (नञ्) + apāyinī (प्रातिपदिक; from apa√i/√i with उपसर्ग apa-, ‘depart’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष: अनपायिनी = न अपायिनी (non-departing, not leaving)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Pañcakrośī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Pot-born)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solitary divine wanderer in Kāśī; from his own radiant form the Goddess appears, self-arisen, standing close yet self-subsistent—an icon of inseparable companionship within the luminous cityscape of ghāṭas and temples.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Śakti (Devī)
• Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Divine Feminine (Śakti) is self-manifest and inseparable from the Supreme Lord, indicating non-dual divine unity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-kṣetra in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), celebrated as the Lord’s eternal playground.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; the verse establishes theology behind Kāśī’s sanctity.