Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

वरमेतेपि पशव आनंदवनचारिणः । सदानंदाः पुनर्देवाननंदनवनाश्रिताः

Transliteration

varametepi paśava ānaṃdavanacāriṇaḥ | sadānaṃdāḥ punardevānanaṃdanavanāśritāḥ

Translation

بل إن هذه الحيوانات التي تجول في «آناندافانا» (كاشي) أَولى وأفضل، لأنها دائمة في الآناندا؛ أمّا الآلهة، وإن سكنت بستان «نَندَنَة»، فليست إلا «مسرورة» من جديد—وفرحها ليس من ذلك المقام.

Word by Word

• varam: better (it is preferable)
• varam: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग (indeclinable accusative used adverbially: 'better')

• ete: these
• ete: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: particle (even/also)

• paśavaḥ: animals
• paśavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paśu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ānandavana-cāriṇaḥ: roaming in Ānandavana
• ānandavana-cāriṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ānandavana (प्रातिपदिक; समास) + cārin (चर् धातु, णिनि-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण; समासः (तत्पुरुष)

• sadā-ānandāḥ: always blissful
• sadā-ānandāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sadā (अव्यय) + ānanda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण; समासः (कर्मधारय)

• punar: whereas; again
• punar: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: 'again/whereas')

• devāḥ: the gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• anandana-vana-āśritāḥ: residing in Nandana grove
• anandana-vana-āśritāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anandana (प्रातिपदिक) + vana (प्रातिपदिक) + āśrita (आ-श्रि धातु, क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) विशेषण; समासः (तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandavana (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience seeking tīrtha-mahattva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Split-scene contrast: left—Ānandavana in Kāśī with serene animals bathed in Śiva’s aura; right—Nandana-grove in Svarga with gods enjoying pleasures, yet their joy appears lighter and transient; Kāśī side radiates deeper stillness.

Characters & Entities

• Ānandavana (Kāśī)
• devas
• Nandana-vana
• animals (paśu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s bliss (ānanda) is depicted as deeper and more constant than heavenly pleasure, making even its animals spiritually ‘fortunate’.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānandavana in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), contrasted with the gods’ Nandana-vana in svarga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is comparative Mahātmya (Kāśī’s greatness over heaven).