Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

तत्रानंदवने शंभोस्तवशाप निराकृतिः । सांब तत्त्वेरितं याहि नान्यथा शापनिर्वृतिः

Transliteration

tatrānaṃdavane śaṃbhostavaśāpa nirākṛtiḥ | sāṃba tattveritaṃ yāhi nānyathā śāpanirvṛtiḥ

Translation

അവിടെ ശംഭുവിന്റെ ആനന്ദവനത്തിൽ നിന്റെ ശാപം നീങ്ങും। ഹേ സാംബാ, സത്യവചനപ്രകാരം പോകുക; ശാപശാന്തിക്ക് മറ്റൊരു മാർഗമില്ല।

Word by Word

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: there)

• ānandavane: in the forest of bliss (Ānandavana)
• ānandavane: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ānanda (प्रातिपदिक) + vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-सम्भाव्य तत्पुरुषः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative singular)

• śaṃbhoḥ: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• śaṃbhoḥ: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃbhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive singular)

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive singular: your)

• śāpa: curse
• śāpa: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (curse)

• nirākṛtiḥ: removal, annulment
• nirākṛtiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nir-ā-√kṛ (कृ धातु) + ti (क्तिन्)
• Form: क्तिन्-प्रत्ययान्त भाववाचक; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• sāṃba: O Sāmba
• sāṃba: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāṃba (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (vocative singular)

• tattva-īritam: that which is instructed as the truth
• tattva-īritam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tattva (प्रातिपदिक) + īrita (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (तत्त्वेन ईरितम्/तत्त्व-ईरितम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'yāhi' इत्यस्य कर्मरूपेण (accusative singular)

• yāhi: go
• yāhi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (या धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (imperative: go)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• anyathā: otherwise
• anyathā: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (otherwise)

• śāpa-nirvṛtiḥ: cessation/relief from the curse
• śāpa-nirvṛtiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + nirvṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nominative singular)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandavana (within Kāśī/Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sāmba (directly addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada’s decisive instruction to Sāmba: a vision of Ānandavana with Śiva’s presence; the ‘curse’ depicted as a dark veil dissolving as the pilgrim approaches the sacred grove-city.

Characters & Entities

• Sāmba
• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Ānandavana
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain karmic afflictions are resolved through surrender to Śiva’s sacred geography—Kāśī as Ānandavana.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānandavana of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), Śiva’s blissful sacred grove.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pilgrimage to Ānandavana/Kāśī is prescribed as the necessary means to end the curse.