Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4
Devanagari script
आकारेणैव सर्वज्ञस्तद्वृत्तांतं विवेद ह । अवादीच्च मुनिं शंभुः कुतो मौनावलंबनम्
Transliteration
ākāreṇaiva sarvajñastadvṛttāṃtaṃ viveda ha | avādīcca muniṃ śaṃbhuḥ kuto maunāvalaṃbanam
Translation
仅凭他的神态，遍知的主便洞悉了全部缘由。随后商布对仙人说道：“你为何依止沉默？”
Word by Word
आकारेणby (his) expression/gesture
आकारेण:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootआकार (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन
एवindeed, just
एव:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअवधारण-अव्यय (particle: indeed/only)
सर्वज्ञःthe omniscient one
सर्वज्ञः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootसर्वज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (शम्भुः) विशेषणम्
तद्वृत्तान्तम्that account
तद्वृत्तान्तम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतद्-वृत्तान्त (प्रातिपदिक; तद् + वृत्तान्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
विवेदknew, understood
विवेद:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवि-√विद् (धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपदी; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
हindeed (emphatic)
ह:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootह (अव्यय)
Formस्मरण/पादपूरण-निपात (particle, expletive)
अवादीत्said
अवादीत्:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√वद् (धातु)
Formलङ्-लकार (Imperfect), परस्मैपदी; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
चand
च:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
मुनिम्to the sage
मुनिम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootमुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
शम्भुःŚambhu (Śiva)
शम्भुः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootशम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
कुतःwhy, from where
कुतः:
Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकुतः (अव्यय)
Formप्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: whence/why)
मौनावलम्बनम्resort to silence, keeping silence
मौनावलम्बनम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootमौन-अवलम्बन (प्रातिपदिक; मौन + अवलम्बन)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘मौनस्य अवलम्बनम्’
Speaker
Skanda (narration) / Śiva (direct speech in second hemistich)
Skanda Dialogue
Listener: Agastya
Visual Art Cues
Scene: Śiva, serene and all-knowing, looks at Nārada and gently questions him; Nārada sits quietly, eyes lowered; the moment captures omniscience meeting human hesitation.
Characters & Entities
Ś
Śambhu (Śiva)N
Nārada (implied as the sage)S
Sarvajña (the all-knowing Lord)FAQs
The Lord perceives the devotee’s inner state without being told; divine omniscience invites honest dialogue rather than hidden hesitation.
No specific tīrtha is named; the verse supports Kāśī’s Śaiva theological mood—Śiva as the knower of all.
None; it is a teaching moment within a dialogue.