Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

परिच्छेदव्यतीतस्यानंदस्य परकारणम् । अतस्त्विदं परं क्षेत्रं लिर्गैर्भूयोभिरद्रिजे

Transliteration

paricchedavyatītasyānaṃdasya parakāraṇam | atastvidaṃ paraṃ kṣetraṃ lirgairbhūyobhiradrije

Translation

إنه العِلّةُ العُظمى للأناندا، تلك السعادة التي تتجاوز كلَّ حدّ. فلذلك، يا ابنةَ الجبل، هذا هو الحقلُ المقدّسُ الأسمى، وهو أوفرُ امتلاءً باللينغا.

Word by Word

• परिच्छेदव्यतीतस्य: of that which has gone beyond limitation
• परिच्छेदव्यतीतस्य: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परिच्छेद (प्रातिपदिक) + व्यतीत (वि+अति+इ-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (परिच्छेदं व्यतीतः = beyond limitation)

• आनन्दस्य: of bliss
• आनन्दस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• परकारणम्: the supreme cause
• परकारणम्: Karmapravachaniya/Predicate (Complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (परं कारणम्)

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Sambandha (Causal connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (हेतुवाचक/adverb; ‘therefore/from this’)

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; contrast/emphasis)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshya (Demonstrative/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; (क्षेत्रं इति विशेषयति)

• क्षेत्रम्: sacred field, holy place
• क्षेत्रम्: Karta/Predicate (Topic/कर्ता-प्राय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• लिङ्गैः: with liṅgas
• लिङ्गैः: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• भूयोभिः: more, numerous
• भूयोभिः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूयस् (प्रातिपदिक; comparative/‘more’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; (लिङ्गैः इति विशेषयति)

• अद्रिजे: O mountain-born (Pārvatī)
• अद्रिजे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अद्रिजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अद्रेः जा = mountain-born)

Speaker

Śiva, speaking to Pārvatī (Adrijā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandavana (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Adrijā/Devī/Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tranquil, luminous Ānandavana overflowing with liṅgas—some ancient, some newly installed—each radiating calm; Śiva and Pārvatī stand as the grove itself seems to breathe limitless bliss.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī (Adrijā)
• Kāśī-kṣetra/Ānandavana
• Śiva-liṅgas
• Limitless bliss

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is exalted as the highest kṣetra because it grounds the seeker in limitless, boundary-transcending bliss linked to Śiva’s liṅga-presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra, specifically Ānandavana, presented as the supreme sacred field.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it reinforces the centrality of liṅga worship and darśana in Kāśī through the motif of abundant liṅgas.