Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

आनंदकाननं प्राप्य ये निरानंदभूमिकाम् । अन्यां हृदापि वांछंति निरानंदाः सदात्र ते

Transliteration

ānaṃdakānanaṃ prāpya ye nirānaṃdabhūmikām | anyāṃ hṛdāpi vāṃchaṃti nirānaṃdāḥ sadātra te

Translation

Selbst nachdem sie Ānandakānana (Kāśī, den Wald der Seligkeit) erreicht haben, bleiben jene, die im Herzen nach einem anderen, freudlosen Ort verlangen, wahrlich hier stets ohne Glückseligkeit.

Word by Word

• आनन्दकाननम्: the grove/forest of bliss
• आनन्दकाननम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (आनन्दस्य काननम्)

• प्राप्य: having reached/attained
• प्राप्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having attained’

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-सूचक सर्वनाम

• निरानन्दभूमिकाम्: a joyless state/ground
• निरानन्दभूमिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरानन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + भूमिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (निरानन्दा भूमिका)

• अन्याम्: another
• अन्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• हृदा: with the heart
• हृदा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), ‘even/also’

• वाञ्छन्ति: desire
• वाञ्छन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वाञ्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• निरानन्दाः: joyless (people)
• निरानन्दाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरानन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (ये इति)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरणार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandakānana (within Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands at the edge of Kāśī’s sacred grove (Ānandakānana), yet looks longingly toward distant lands; behind him, luminous Śiva-presence pervades the forest while shadowy ‘joyless’ landscapes beckon in the distance.

Characters & Entities

• Ānandakānana
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True bliss arises from inner alignment with dharma and devotion; even in Kāśī, craving elsewhere keeps one joyless.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānandakānana—an epithet for Kāśī/Varanasi, praised as the abode of bliss and liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the emphasis is on inner disposition—non-craving and steadfastness in Kāśī.