Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

एकाकी दैवयोगेन दुर्दमः सोऽवनीपतिः । धन्वी तुरंगमारुढोऽविशदानंदकाननम्

Transliteration

ekākī daivayogena durdamaḥ so'vanīpatiḥ | dhanvī turaṃgamāruḍho'viśadānaṃdakānanam

Translation

ਫਿਰ ਦੈਵ-ਯੋਗ ਨਾਲ ਉਹ ਅਵਨੀਪਤੀ ਦੁਰਦਮ ਇਕੱਲਾ ਰਹਿ ਗਿਆ; ਧਨੁਸ਼ ਹੱਥ ਵਿਚ, ਘੋੜੇ ਉੱਤੇ ਸਵਾਰ ਹੋ ਕੇ ਉਹ ਆਨੰਦਕਾਨਨ—ਆਨੰਦ ਦੇ ਵਨ—ਵਿੱਚ ਪ੍ਰਵੇਸ਼ ਕਰ ਗਿਆ।

Word by Word

• एकाकी: alone, solitary
• एकाकी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकाकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• दैवयोगेन: by divine chance/dispensation
• दैवयोगेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैवयोग (प्रातिपदिक; दैव + योग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; हेतु/साधनवाचक (by means of/through)

• दुर्दमः: hard to subdue, unrestrainable
• दुर्दमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्दम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

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

• अवनीपतिः: king, lord of the earth
• अवनीपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवनीपति (प्रातिपदिक; अवनी + पति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• धन्वी: bow-bearing, archer
• धन्वी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• तुरंगमारूढः: mounted on a horse
• तुरंगमारूढः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुरंग + आरूढ (कृदन्त; √रुह् (धातु) उपसर्ग-आ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle) ‘mounted’

• अविशद्: entered
• अविशद्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आनंदकाननम्: the delightful grove/forest
• आनंदकाननम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनंद + कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandakānana (within Kāśī-kshetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (standard frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solitary king with bow, mounted on a horse, passes from ordinary terrain into a luminous, verdant sacred forest labeled Ānandakānana; the atmosphere subtly shifts to sanctity and wonder.

Characters & Entities

• Durdama
• Ānandakānana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Providence can lead even the erring into a sanctified space where transformation becomes possible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānandakānana, the sacred “Forest of Bliss” associated with Kāśī (Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is given here; the emphasis is on entering the sacred geography of Kāśī.