Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

निवसंति हि ये मर्त्या अस्मिन्नानंदकानने । ममांतःकरणे ते वै निवसेयुरकल्मषाः

Transliteration

nivasaṃti hi ye martyā asminnānaṃdakānane | mamāṃtaḥkaraṇe te vai nivaseyurakalmaṣāḥ

Translation

ഈ ആനന്ദകാനനത്തിൽ വസിക്കുന്ന മർത്ത്യർ പാപമലരഹിതരായി സത്യമായി എന്റെ അന്തഃകരണത്തിൽ തന്നെ വസിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• निवसन्ति: dwell
• निवसन्ति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (present), प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (indeed/for)

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• मर्त्याः: mortals
• मर्त्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरण), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• आनन्द-कानने: in the grove of bliss
• आनन्द-कानने: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: आनन्दस्य काननम्); नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम

• अन्तःकरणे: in (my) inner mind/heart
• अन्तःकरणे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तःकरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (emphasis)

• निवसेयुः: should dwell
• निवसेयुः: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• अकल्मषाः: sinless/pure
• अकल्मषाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अकल्मष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Śiva (Hara/Bhava)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandakānana (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī / devotees (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene ‘forest of bliss’ imagined within Kāśī—sacred trees, small shrines, and the Ganga nearby; transparent overlay shows devotees seated within Śiva’s heart-lotus, indicating ‘they dwell in my inner heart’.

Characters & Entities

• Ānandakānana (Kāśī)
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Residence in Kāśī, conceived as Ānandakānana, is portrayed as intimate proximity to Śiva—so close it is ‘dwelling in his heart’—and as a path of purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānandakānana—an epithet for Kāśī (Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied practice is nivāsa (residence) in Kāśī with purity of conduct; no specific ceremonial rite is named.