Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

विश्वेशो मुक्तिदो नित्यं मुक्त्यै चोत्तरवाहिनी । आनंदकानने मुक्तिर्मुक्तिर्नान्यत्र कुत्रचित्

Transliteration

viśveśo muktido nityaṃ muktyai cottaravāhinī | ānaṃdakānane muktirmuktirnānyatra kutracit

Translation

Visvesvara sentiasa menganugerahkan pembebasan, dan Ganga yang mengalir ke utara adalah untuk pembebasan juga. Di Anandakanana sahaja terdapat pembebasan—pembebasan tiada di tempat lain sama sekali.

Word by Word

• विश्वेशः: Viśveśa (Lord of the universe)
• विश्वेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (विश्वस्य ईशः) (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• मुक्तिदः: giver of liberation
• मुक्तिदः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्ति + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (मुक्तिं ददाति इति) (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषणवत्; नित्य-भाव (adverbial: always)

• मुक्त्यै: for liberation
• मुक्त्यै: Sampradāna (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन (Feminine, Dative, Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• उत्तरवाहिनी: the north-flowing (river, i.e., Gaṅgā)
• उत्तरवाहिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तर + वाहिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (उत्तरं वहति इति) (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• आनंदकानने: in the forest of bliss (Ānandakānana)
• आनंदकानने: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्द + कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (आनन्दस्य काननम्) (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति-बल (repetition for emphasis)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negative particle)

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: elsewhere)

• कुत्रचित्: anywhere (at all)
• कुत्रचित्: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुत्रचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अनिश्चित-प्रश्नार्थक/निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (indefinite adverb: anywhere)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandakānana (within Kāśī/Avimukta) and Uttaravāhinī Gaṅgā

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viśveśvara’s shrine radiates above the ghāṭs; Gaṅgā curves in a northward bend; Ānandakānana appears as a lush sacred grove with lamps and devotees—liberation depicted as a beam of light descending upon the pilgrim within this triad.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśa (Śiva)
• Uttaravāhinī Gaṅgā
• Ānandakānana
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation is especially tied to Kāśī through Viśveśa and the sacred Gaṅgā; Ānandakānana is celebrated as the unique mokṣa-seat.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānandakānana in Kāśī, along with Viśveśvara and the uttaravāhinī Gaṅgā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse identifies the liberating agencies—Viśveśa and the Gaṅgā in Kāśī.