Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

आनंदकाननं शंभोश्चक्रपुष्करिणी हरेः । परब्रह्मैकसुक्षेत्रं लीलामोक्षसमर्पकम्

Transliteration

ānaṃdakānanaṃ śaṃbhoścakrapuṣkariṇī hareḥ | parabrahmaikasukṣetraṃ līlāmokṣasamarpakam

Translation

यह शंभु का आनंदकानन है, हरि की चक्रपुष्करिणी है; यह परब्रह्म का एकमात्र श्रेष्ठ क्षेत्र है, जो लीला से मोक्ष प्रदान करता है।

Word by Word

• आनन्दकाननम्: the forest of bliss (Ānandakānana)
• आनन्दकाननम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्द+कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः आनन्दस्य काननम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• शम्भोः: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• चक्रपुष्करिणी: Cakrapuṣkariṇī (sacred tank)
• चक्रपुष्करिणी: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र+पुष्करिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः चक्रस्य पुष्करिणी (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• हरेः: of Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• परब्रह्मैकसुक्षेत्रम्: the unique excellent field of the Supreme Brahman
• परब्रह्मैकसुक्षेत्रम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परब्रह्मन्+एक+सु+क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (बहुपद-तत्पुरुष) परं ब्रह्म (कर्मधारय) + एक (विशेषण) + सुक्षेत्र (कर्मधारय); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• लीलामोक्षसमर्पकम्: bestowing liberation playfully
• लीलामोक्षसमर्पकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लीला+मोक्ष+समर्पक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः लीलया मोक्षं समर्पयतीति (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/उपपद); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (context continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandakānana / Cakrapuṣkariṇī (within Kāśī-Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary description of Kāśī as a luminous sacred grove and tank, simultaneously Śiva’s and Viṣṇu’s, culminating in the idea of a single Brahman-field that playfully bestows liberation.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Ānandakānana
• Cakrapuṣkariṇī
• Parabrahman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is proclaimed as a supreme mokṣa-kṣetra where Śiva and Viṣṇu’s sanctities converge in the one reality of Parabrahman.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānandakānana (the bliss-forest of Kāśī) and Cakrapuṣkariṇī, within the Kāśī sacred topography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed; the verse functions as sthala-stuti (praise of the holy region) emphasizing mokṣa.