Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

अहं कर्ता हि लोकानां यज्ञो नारायणः परः । न मामनादृत्य विधे जीवनं जगतामज

Transliteration

ahaṃ kartā hi lokānāṃ yajño nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ | na māmanādṛtya vidhe jīvanaṃ jagatāmaja

Translation

میں ہی جہانوں کا کرتا ہوں؛ یَجْنَ ہی پرم نارائن ہے۔ اے ودھاتا، اے اَج (ازلی)، میری تعظیم کے بغیر جہانوں کا جینا بھی ممکن نہیں۔

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कर्ता: creator/doer
• कर्ता: Karta (Predicate nominative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ + तृच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate noun)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/particle (indeed)

• लोकानाम्: of the worlds
• लोकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• यज्ञः: the sacrifice (Yajña)
• यज्ञः: Karta (Predicate nominative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नारायणः: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणः: Karta (Predicate nominative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• परः: supreme
• परः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of नारायणः)

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

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अनादृत्य: disregarding
• अनादृत्य: Sambandha (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अन्-आ-√दृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘अनादृत्य’ = having disregarded

• विधे: O Vidhi (Brahmā)
• विधे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• जीवनम्: life/sustenance
• जीवनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; here as प्रथमा (subject)

• जगताम्: of the worlds
• जगताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• अज: O Unborn one (Brahmā)
• अज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Kratu (asserting Nārāyaṇa as the supreme sacrificial principle)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A creator-like deity speaks with firm gesture; behind him a symbolic yajña-kuṇḍa flame rises, within which a subtle Nārāyaṇa form is suggested—indicating yajña as divine body.

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa
• Vidhātr (Vidhe)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine is identified with yajña (sacrifice) and cosmic sustenance; honoring the supreme principle is portrayed as essential for the world’s life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No individual tīrtha is mentioned; the verse functions within Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s theological narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly elevates yajña as sacred, but no concrete ritual steps (time, place, offering) are specified in this line.