Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

आनंदरूपा जायंते तेन काश्यां हि जंतवः । चरणौ चरितुं वित्तस्तावेव कृतिनामिह

Transliteration

ānaṃdarūpā jāyaṃte tena kāśyāṃ hi jaṃtavaḥ | caraṇau carituṃ vittastāveva kṛtināmiha

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് കാശിയിൽ ജീവികൾ ആനന്ദസ്വരൂപരായി ജന്മിക്കുന്നു. ഇവിടെ സത്യത്തിൽ ധന്യമായ പാദങ്ങൾ അവയേ—ഈ സ്ഥലത്ത് നടന്നു സഞ്ചരിക്കാൻ കഴിയുന്നവ.

Word by Word

• ānaṃda-rūpāḥ: of blissful form
• ānaṃda-rūpāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ānanda (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन (plural); विशेषण

• jāyante: are born, arise
• jāyante: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)

• tena: therefore, by that
• tena: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन (singular)

• kāśyām: in Kāśī
• kāśyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन (singular)

• hi: indeed, for
• hi: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; explanatory/emphatic)

• jaṃtavaḥ: creatures, beings
• jaṃtavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jaṃtu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन (plural)

• caraṇau: (two) feet
• caraṇau: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (2nd case), द्विवचन (dual)

• caritum: to walk, to traverse
• caritum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable infinitive)

• vittaḥ: fit, capable
• vittaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vid (धातु) → vitta (कृदन्त/भूतकृत)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण (अर्थ: 'समर्थ/योग्य')

• tau: those two
• tau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), द्विवचन (dual)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha-bodhaka (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण)

• kṛtinām: of the fortunate/meritorious
• kṛtinām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛtin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन (plural)

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक/locative adverb)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim’s feet stepping onto Kāśī’s ancient stone lanes, with subtle radiance rising from the ground; beings depicted with serene blissful faces, suggesting ānanda-born nature.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

To step into and walk within Kāśī is itself a mark of great merit; the city is portrayed as a realm that shapes beings toward bliss.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as a whole—especially the blessedness of physically traversing its sacred ground.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied practice: pilgrimage on foot and circumambulation-like wandering in Kāśī (no formal rite specified).