Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

भैरवस्यापिहस्ताग्रादपतद्वैधसं शिरः । यत्रानंदवने तत्र वृत्रशत्रो व्रज द्रुतम्

Transliteration

bhairavasyāpihastāgrādapatadvaidhasaṃ śiraḥ | yatrānaṃdavane tatra vṛtraśatro vraja drutam

Translation

ആനന്ദവനത്തിൽ ഭൈരവന്റെ കൈയുടെ അഗ്രത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വൈധസൻ (ബ്രഹ്മാവ്)ന്റെ ശിരസ് വീണിരുന്നു. ഹേ വൃത്രശത്രോ! ആ സ്ഥലത്തേക്കു വേഗത്തിൽ പോകുക।

Word by Word

• bhairavasya: of Bhairava
• bhairavasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhairava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• hastāgrāt: from the tip of the hand
• hastāgrāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hasta-agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (अग्र), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (hastasya agra = tip of the hand)

• apatat: fell
• apatat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pat (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• vaidhasam: of Brahmā (Brahmā’s)
• vaidhasam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaidhasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘śiraḥ’ इति विशेषण; ‘विधातृ/ब्रह्मसम्बन्धि’

• śiraḥ: head
• śiraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• ānandavane: in Ānandavana
• ānandavane: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ānanda-vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (vana), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ānandasya vanam = forest of bliss)

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

• vṛtraśatro: O enemy of Vṛtra (Indra)
• vṛtraśatro: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛtra-śatru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (vṛtrasya śatru = enemy of Vṛtra)

• vraja: go
• vraja: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vraj (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• drutam: quickly
• drutam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: druta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Bṛhaspati

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandavana (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra (Vṛtraśatru)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhairava, fierce and radiant, holds the severed head of Vaidhasa (Brahmā); at Ānandavana the head drops from the fingertips, signifying release. Indra is urged to hurry to that sanctified spot.

Characters & Entities

• Bhairava
• Brahmā (Vaidhasa)
• Ānandavana
• Indra (Vṛtraśatru)
• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ānandavana is portrayed as a uniquely sanctifying locus where even cosmic transgressions find resolution through Śiva’s order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānandavana, the sacred forest/grove within Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

To go quickly to Ānandavana; no explicit ritual act is stated.