Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

अरूपो रूपमापन्नो ह्यव्यक्तो व्यक्ततां गतः । निराकारोपि साकारो निष्प्रपंचः प्रपंचभाक्

Transliteration

arūpo rūpamāpanno hyavyakto vyaktatāṃ gataḥ | nirākāropi sākāro niṣprapaṃcaḥ prapaṃcabhāk

Translation

无相者如何取相？未显者如何入于显现？无形无体者如何成就有身，而超越宇宙者又如何承担宇宙之戏游？

Word by Word

• अरूपः: formless
• अरूपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ- (नञ्) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषार्थक विशेषण (formless)

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आपन्नः: having assumed/attained
• आपन्नः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Predicative participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भावे (having attained)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (indeed/for)

• अव्यक्तः: unmanifest
• अव्यक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ- (नञ्) + व्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नञ्-विशेषण (unmanifest)

• व्यक्तताम्: manifestness
• व्यक्तताम्: Karma (Goal/object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यक्तता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गतः: having gone/attained
• गतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Predicative participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (gone/attained)

• निराकारः: shapeless
• निराकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् (उपसर्ग) + आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (without shape)

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

• साकारः: with form
• साकारः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स- (उपसर्ग/सह) + आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (with form)

• निष्प्रपञ्चः: free from the phenomenal world
• निष्प्रपञ्चः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निस् (उपसर्ग) + प्रपञ्च (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (free from manifoldness/worldly expansion)

• प्रपञ्च-भाक्: partaking of/assuming the phenomenal world
• प्रपञ्च-भाक्: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रपञ्च (प्रातिपदिक) + भज् (धातु) → भाक् (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘भाक्’ (क्विप्/कृदन्त, possessor/partaker) तत्पुरुष (प्रपञ्चं भजते/भुङ्क्ते)

Speaker

Agastya (philosophical inquiry addressed to Skanda)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañcanada-tīrtha (context)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda) addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic metaphysical scene: an abstract, luminous presence condenses into a recognizable divine form above the river-ford; the cosmos appears as a mandala around Kāśī, showing ‘nirākāra’ becoming ‘sākāra’ without rupture.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme can remain transcendent yet freely manifest for the protection of dharma and the blessing of beings—an idea central to tīrtha and avatāra narratives.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Pañcanada Tīrtha inquiry in Kāśī, setting up the explanation of a divine manifestation connected to that site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is theological groundwork for the forthcoming tīrtha story.