Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

पुनर्नो तनुसंबंधस्तनुद्वेषिप्रसादतः । आनंदवनमासाद्य स तपः शरणं गतः

Transliteration

punarno tanusaṃbaṃdhastanudveṣiprasādataḥ | ānaṃdavanamāsādya sa tapaḥ śaraṇaṃ gataḥ

Translation

‘तनुद्वेषी’ शिवाच्या कृपेने माझा पुन्हा देहाशी संबंध राहू नये. आनंदवनास पोहोचून त्याने तपश्चर्येलाच आपले शरण मानले।

Word by Word

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: again)

• नः: our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप; सम्बन्ध (our)

• तनुसम्बन्धः: connection with the body
• तनुसम्बन्धः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु-सम्बन्ध (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय (subject)

• तनुद्वेषि: the body-hater (epithet)
• तनुद्वेषि: Sambandha (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु-द्वेषिन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; ‘तनुं द्वेष्टि’ (one who hates the body) — समासाङ्ग

• प्रसादतः: from (the) grace
• प्रसादतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (ablative of cause: due to grace)

• आनन्दवनम्: Ānandavana (forest of bliss)
• आनन्दवनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्द-वन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object of ‘आसाद्य’)

• आसाद्य: having reached
• आसाद्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ- सद् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having reached/approached’

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्ता

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object implied: performed austerity)

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (as refuge)

• गतः: went (took)
• गतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तरि-भाव (has gone/entered)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandavana (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Harikeśa arrives in Ānandavana and begins austerities: seated under a sacred tree, japa-mālā in hand, minimal possessions, the atmosphere suffused with quiet bliss and Śiva’s unseen grace dissolving body-bondage.

Characters & Entities

• Ānandavana
• Śiva (Tanudveṣi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation is sought through Śiva’s grace and disciplined tapas, aiming at ending repeated embodiment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānandavana/Ānandakānana within Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity/penance) is presented as the chosen spiritual refuge after reaching Ānandavana.