Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

नीरवध्वांतसंकेत सदनाभं तदग्रतः । मकारं स ददर्शाथ तमोरूपं विशेषतः

Transliteration

nīravadhvāṃtasaṃketa sadanābhaṃ tadagrataḥ | makāraṃ sa dadarśātha tamorūpaṃ viśeṣataḥ

Translation

پھر اس کے سامنے اس نے ‘م’ کار کو دیکھا—خاموش تاریکی کی علامت لیے ہوئے، گویا ایک آستانہ یا مسکن کی مانند؛ اور خاص طور پر تمس کی صورت۔

Word by Word

• nīravadhvāṃtasaṃketa: having the mark of dense darkness
• nīravadhvāṃtasaṃketa: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nīra (प्रातिपदिक) + avadhvāṃta (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃketa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः (अर्थः: नीरवत्/नीर-युक्तं ध्वान्तं यस्य सः—संकेतः/लक्षणम्; ‘having a sign/mark of dense darkness’)

• sadanābham: having the appearance of a dwelling/abode-like
• sadanābham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sadana (प्रातिपदिक) + ābha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (sadanasya ābham)

• tat: of that
• tat: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (tad- = ‘of that’)

• agrataḥ: in front (of it)
• agrataḥ: Desha-adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: agratas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (in front of)

• makāram: the syllable ‘ma’ (makāra)
• makāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: makāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• dadarśa: he saw
• dadarśa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• atha: then
• atha: Kriya-visheshana (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक (then)

• tamorūpam: the form of tamas (darkness)
• tamorūpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tamas (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (tamasaḥ rūpam)

• viśeṣataḥ: especially
• viśeṣataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (especially/in particular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The ‘M’ syllable appears as a deep blue-black, quiet form with a subtle halo; it resembles a cave/abode or a closed lotus-bud; surrounding space hushes, suggesting the approach to silence after sound.

Characters & Entities

• Praṇava (Makāra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Makāra represents the tamasic, dissolving/withdrawing tendency—pointing to the inward return of manifested forms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s praise of Kāśī as a place where ultimate sound-principles are understood.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse is a contemplative mapping of Praṇava’s components.