Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

आनंदकाननं शंभोः क्षेत्रमेतदनादिमत् । अत्र संस्थितिमापन्ना मुक्ता एव न संशयः

Transliteration

ānaṃdakānanaṃ śaṃbhoḥ kṣetrametadanādimat | atra saṃsthitimāpannā muktā eva na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

هذا هو آنندكانانا، غابة النعيم، وهو الحرم المقدّس لشَمبهو (شيفا) الذي لا بداية لقداسته. من نال مقام الاستقرار هنا فهو مُتحرّر حقًّا؛ لا شكّ في ذلك.

Word by Word

• आनन्दकाननम्: the forest of bliss
• आनन्दकाननम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन — Nom./Acc. singular

• शम्भोः: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• क्षेत्रम्: field/place
• क्षेत्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन — Nom./Acc. singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन — Nom./Acc. singular

• अनादिमत्: beginningless; without origin
• अनादिमत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनादि (प्रातिपदिक) + मत् (तद्धित/प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन — Nom./Acc. singular; 'मतुप्' प्रत्ययार्थः (possessing)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• संस्थितिम्: abiding/residence
• संस्थितिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संस्थिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• आपन्नाः: having attained
• आपन्नाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ+√पद् (गत्यर्थे) (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन — Nominative plural; कर्तरि क्त (having attained)

• मुक्ताः: liberated
• मुक्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्त (कृदन्त; √मुच् (मोचने) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन — Nominative plural; विधेय-विशेषण

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Nominative singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogues commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandakānana (within Kāśī/Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous sacred forest-city: Ānandakānana as a grove of bliss with Śiva’s presence permeating trees, shrines, and the air; liberated beings dwell serenely, suggesting ‘sthiti’ as freedom.

Characters & Entities

• Ānandakānana
• Śambhu
• Kāśī
• Mukti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ānandakānana (Kāśī) is depicted as Śiva’s timeless sacred realm where dwelling/abiding leads to liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānandakānana—an epithet for Kāśī/Vārāṇasī as Śiva’s blissful sacred forest.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse emphasizes ‘abiding’ in the kṣetra; it does not specify a particular vrata, dāna, or japa.