Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

यथा सदाशिव त्वत्तो न किंचिदधिकं शिवम् । तथानंदवनादस्मात्किंचिन्मास्त्वधिकं क्वचित्

Transliteration

yathā sadāśiva tvatto na kiṃcidadhikaṃ śivam | tathānaṃdavanādasmātkiṃcinmāstvadhikaṃ kvacit

Translation

ഹേ സദാശിവാ, ഹേ ശിവാ! നിന്നേക്കാൾ ഉയർന്നത് ഒന്നുമില്ലാത്തതുപോലെ, ഈ ആനന്ദവനത്തേക്കാൾ ശ്രേഷ്ഠം എവിടെയും ഒന്നും ഉണ്ടാകരുത്.

Word by Word

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (as/just as)

• sadāśiva: O Sadāśiva
• sadāśiva: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sadā + śiva (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• tvattaḥ: than you/from you
• tvattaḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (2nd person)

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• kiṃcit: anything
• kiṃcit: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (किम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थ (anything)

• adhikam: greater/superior
• adhikam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhika (अधिक प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• śivam: Śiva/the auspicious (reality)
• śivam: Samanaadhikarana (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (शिव प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; (शिवम् = auspiciousness/Śiva as neuter)

• tathā: so/in the same way
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: तदनुरूप/एवमेव अर्थे अव्यय (so/in the same way)

• ānandavanāt: than/from Ānandavana
• ānandavanāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ānandavana (आनन्दवन प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (आनन्दस्य वनम्)

• asmāt: than/from this
• asmāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kiṃcit: anything
• kiṃcit: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (किम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• mā: let not
• mā: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय; लोट्/विधिलिङ्-निषेध (prohibitive)

• astu: be
• astu: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• adhikam: greater/superior
• adhikam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhika (अधिक प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• kvacit: anywhere/at any time
• kvacit: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक अव्यय (anywhere/ever)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandavana (within Kāśī/Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims and traditional interlocutors of Kāśī-māhātmya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vow-like proclamation before Sadāśiva: the sacred grove-city Ānandavana shown as a luminous mandala, with Śiva’s presence crowning it, implying ‘none higher anywhere’.

Characters & Entities

• Sadāśiva
• Śiva
• Ānandavana
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse establishes a parallel: Śiva is unsurpassed, and Ānandavana (Kāśī) is likewise proclaimed unrivaled among sacred places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānandavana, the sacral heart of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction; it is a superlative praise (māhātmya-stuti) of Ānandavana.