Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

अस्यानंदवनं नाम पुरा कारि पिनाकिना । क्षेत्रस्यानंदहेतुत्वादविमुक्तमंनतरम्

Transliteration

asyānaṃdavanaṃ nāma purā kāri pinākinā | kṣetrasyānaṃdahetutvādavimuktamaṃnataram

Translation

പുരാതനകാലത്ത് പിനാകി (ശിവൻ) ഈ സ്ഥലത്തെ ‘ആനന്ദവനം’ എന്നു നാമകരണം ചെയ്തു. ഈ ക്ഷേത്രം ആനന്ദത്തിന്റെ നേരിട്ട കാരണമാകയാൽ അത് ഉടൻ ‘അവിമുക്ത’ എന്ന പേരിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധമായി।

Word by Word

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• आनन्दवनम्: the forest of bliss (Ānandavana)
• आनन्दवनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्द + वन (प्रातिपदिक); components: आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle indicating naming/quotation)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• कारि: made
• कारि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• पिनाकिना: by Pinākin (Śiva, bearer of the bow Pināka)
• पिनाकिना: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिनाकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• क्षेत्रस्य: of the kṣetra
• क्षेत्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• आनन्दहेतुत्वात्: because of being a cause of bliss
• आनन्दहेतुत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्दहेतु + त्व (प्रातिपदिक); components: आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (भावप्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• अविमुक्तम्: Avimukta (the never-abandoned place)
• अविमुक्तम्: Karta (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविमुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अनन्तरम्: immediately/next (as epithet)
• अनन्तरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular) (अविमुक्तम् इति विशेषण)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandavana (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Ghaṭodbhava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as Pinākin sanctifies a verdant yet luminous ‘forest-city’—trees interwoven with temple spires—while sages hear the proclamation ‘Ānandavana’; a subtle banner reads ‘Avimukta’.

Characters & Entities

• Pinākin (Śiva)
• Ānandavana
• Avimukta
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sanctity is rooted in Śiva’s own establishment: it is the ‘Forest of Bliss’ and therefore Avimukta, the place never abandoned by the Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānandavana within Kāśī—identified with Avimukta, the core liberating zone of Varanasi.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse provides sacred-name etymology and māhātmya (glorific) grounding.