Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

पुरानंदवने चात्र ब्रह्मणा विश्वयोनिना । तपस्तप्तं महादेवि समाधिं दधतापरम्

Transliteration

purānaṃdavane cātra brahmaṇā viśvayoninā | tapastaptaṃ mahādevi samādhiṃ dadhatāparam

Translation

“Formerly, here in Ānandavana, Brahmā—the source of the universe—performed austerities, O great goddess, abiding in supreme samādhi.”

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly)

• आनन्द-वने: in the forest of Ānanda
• आनन्द-वने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आनन्दस्य वनम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Desha (Location/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• विश्व-योनिना: by the one whose source is the universe
• विश्व-योनिना: Karta (Agent qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘यस्य योनि: विश्वम्’ (whose source is the universe) ; विशेषणम् (ब्रह्मणा)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अत्र कर्मरूपेण (तपः तप्तम्)

• तप्तम्: performed, practiced
• तप्तम्: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘performed’

• महादेवि: O Mahādevī
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/संबोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• समाधिम्: meditative absorption
• समाधिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समाधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• दधता: while holding/maintaining
• दधता: Karta (Agent qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (ब्रह्मणा)

• अपरम्: supreme, unsurpassed
• अपरम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (समाधिम्) — ‘unsurpassed/other’ (context: supreme)

Speaker

Śiva (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandavana

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In ancient times within Ānandavana, Brahmā—cosmic progenitor—sits in deep austerity and supreme samādhi, the forest around him hushed and sanctified.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)
• Brahmā
• Ānandavana
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even cosmic creators attain revelation through tapas and deep samādhi, especially within sanctified kṣetras.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānandavana—Kāśī’s sacred forest-space celebrated in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) and samādhi (meditative absorption) are presented as the spiritual disciplines employed.