Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

परिच्छेदव्यतीतस्यानंदस्य परकारणम् । अतस्त्विदं परं क्षेत्रं लिर्गैर्भूयोभिरद्रिजे

Transliteration

paricchedavyatītasyānaṃdasya parakāraṇam | atastvidaṃ paraṃ kṣetraṃ lirgairbhūyobhiradrije

Translation

ഇത് പരിധിയെ അതിക്രമിക്കുന്ന ആനന്ദത്തിന്റെ പരമ കാരണമാകുന്നു. അതിനാൽ, ഹേ അദ്രിജേ, ഇതാണ് പരമ ക്ഷേത്രം—കൂടുതൽ ലിംഗങ്ങളാൽ സമൃദ്ധമായത്.

Word by Word

• परिच्छेदव्यतीतस्य: of that which has gone beyond limitation
• परिच्छेदव्यतीतस्य: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परिच्छेद (प्रातिपदिक) + व्यतीत (वि+अति+इ-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (परिच्छेदं व्यतीतः = beyond limitation)

• आनन्दस्य: of bliss
• आनन्दस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• परकारणम्: the supreme cause
• परकारणम्: Karmapravachaniya/Predicate (Complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (परं कारणम्)

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Sambandha (Causal connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (हेतुवाचक/adverb; ‘therefore/from this’)

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; contrast/emphasis)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshya (Demonstrative/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; (क्षेत्रं इति विशेषयति)

• क्षेत्रम्: sacred field, holy place
• क्षेत्रम्: Karta/Predicate (Topic/कर्ता-प्राय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• लिङ्गैः: with liṅgas
• लिङ्गैः: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• भूयोभिः: more, numerous
• भूयोभिः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूयस् (प्रातिपदिक; comparative/‘more’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; (लिङ्गैः इति विशेषयति)

• अद्रिजे: O mountain-born (Pārvatī)
• अद्रिजे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अद्रिजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अद्रेः जा = mountain-born)

Speaker

Śiva, speaking to Pārvatī (Adrijā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandavana (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Adrijā/Devī/Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tranquil, luminous Ānandavana overflowing with liṅgas—some ancient, some newly installed—each radiating calm; Śiva and Pārvatī stand as the grove itself seems to breathe limitless bliss.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī (Adrijā)
• Kāśī-kṣetra/Ānandavana
• Śiva-liṅgas
• Limitless bliss

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is exalted as the highest kṣetra because it grounds the seeker in limitless, boundary-transcending bliss linked to Śiva’s liṅga-presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra, specifically Ānandavana, presented as the supreme sacred field.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it reinforces the centrality of liṅga worship and darśana in Kāśī through the motif of abundant liṅgas.