Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

वेदा विदंति न यथार्थतया भवंतं ब्रह्मादयोपि न चराचर सूत्रधार । त्वं हंसि पासि विदधासि समस्तमेकः कस्तेस्तुतिव्यतिकरो मनसाप्यगम्य

Transliteration

vedā vidaṃti na yathārthatayā bhavaṃtaṃ brahmādayopi na carācara sūtradhāra | tvaṃ haṃsi pāsi vidadhāsi samastamekaḥ kastestutivyatikaro manasāpyagamya

Translation

Ngay cả các Veda cũng không biết Ngài trọn vẹn như thật; ngay cả Phạm Thiên và chư thiên cũng chẳng thể biết Ngài, hỡi Đấng điều khiển vô hình, kẻ se sợi cho mọi loài động và bất động. Chỉ một mình Ngài hủy diệt, hộ trì và an bài toàn thể vũ trụ. Ai có thể dâng lời tán thán xứng đáng cho Ngài—Đấng vượt ngoài cả tầm với của tâm?

Word by Word

• vedāḥ: the Vedas
• vedāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• vidanti: know
• vidanti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• yathārthatayā: accurately; as it truly is
• yathārthatayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathārthatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोग (adverbial: 'in truthfully/accurately')

• bhavantam: you (the Lord)
• bhavantam: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavant (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• brahmādayaḥ: Brahmā and others
• brahmādayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmā + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—आदि-तत्पुरुष (brahmā-ādi = 'Brahmā and others')

• api: even; also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-अव्यय (also/even)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• carācara: moving and unmoving
• carācara: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cara + acara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे समासपूर्वपद; समासः—द्वन्द्व (cara+acara = moving and non-moving); अत्र विशेषण-रूपेण

• sūtradhāra: O thread-holder (controller)
• sūtradhāra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūtra + dhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा-एकवचन (vocative/nominative sg; context: address); समासः—तत्पुरुष (sūtra-dhāra = 'holder of the thread')

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• haṃsi: you destroy
• haṃsi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• pāsi: you protect
• pāsi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pā (धातु, पालने)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• vidadhāsi: you arrange/ordain
• vidadhāsi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + dhā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• samastam: the whole (universe)
• samastam: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ekaḥ: alone; one
• ekaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying tvam)

• kaḥ: who
• kaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• te: of you; your
• te: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• stuti-vyatikaraḥ: (adequate) praise/description
• stuti-vyatikaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stuti + vyatikara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (stuti-vyatikara = 'the act/possibility of praising')

• manasā: by mind
• manasā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-अव्यय (even)

• agamyaḥ: incomprehensible; unattainable
• agamyaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a + gamya (गम्-धातु से कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्तव्य/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive) नकारार्थे—'अगम्य' = not reachable/knowable

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context) speaking to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Viśveśvara sphere)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied deity addressed (Supreme Lord in Kāśī context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee in Kāśī offers a hymn before an unseen, all-pervading Lord; behind, the cosmos is shown as a woven tapestry—moving and unmoving beings held by an invisible ‘sūtradhāra’. Brahmā and devas stand with bowed heads, Vedas personified as unable to fully encompass the deity.

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• Brahmā
• Śiva (implied as the carācara-sūtradhāra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva, the inner ruler of all beings, transcends even Vedic and mental comprehension; devotion recognizes His supreme, all-encompassing sovereignty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī Māhātmya framework, implicitly praising Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as the supreme Śaiva sacred geography where Śiva’s greatness is celebrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) appears in this verse; it functions as a theological stuti emphasizing Śiva’s transcendence and cosmic lordship.