Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

प्रागानंदवने तत्र शिवयो रममाणयोः । इच्छेत्यभूत्कलशज सृज्यः कोप्यपरः किल

Transliteration

prāgānaṃdavane tatra śivayo ramamāṇayoḥ | icchetyabhūtkalaśaja sṛjyaḥ kopyaparaḥ kila

Translation

प्रागानन्दवने तत्र शिवशक्त्योः रममाणयोः । कलशजागस्त्य, ‘किमप्यन्यत् सृज्यताम्’ इति केवलोऽभिलाषोऽभवत् किल ॥

Word by Word

• prāk: formerly / earlier
• prāk: Adhikarana (Locative setting/अधिकरण-निर्देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prāk (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/देशवाचक (indeclinable; temporal/spatial adverb)

• ānandavane: in the forest of bliss (Ānandavana)
• ānandavane: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ānandavana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—आनन्दस्य वनम् (genitive tatpuruṣa)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Locative setting/अधिकरण-निर्देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (indeclinable adverb of place)

• śivayoḥ: of the two Śivas (Śiva and Pārvatī)
• śivayoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), द्विवचन (dual)

• ramamāṇayoḥ: while (they) were sporting/delighting
• ramamāṇayoḥ: Visheshana (Qualifying participle/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ram (धातु) + ramamāṇa (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (present participle, शतृ); षष्ठी, द्विवचन; आत्मनेपदी-प्रयोगार्थ (genitive dual agreeing with śivayoḥ)

• icchā: a desire
• icchā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: icchā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/इति-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः (quotative particle)

• abhūt: arose / came to be
• abhūt: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (aorist), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• kalaśaja: Kumbhaja (Agastya), born from a pot
• kalaśaja: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalaśa (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—कलशात् जातः (ablative tatpuruṣa)

• sṛjyaḥ: to be created/produced
• sṛjyaḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sṛj (धातु) + sṛjya (कृदन्त, यत्)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/future passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kaḥ: who? / some (indefinite in context)
• kaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• api: also / even / indeed
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle; enclitic)

• aparaḥ: another
• aparaḥ: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kila: it is said / indeed
• kila: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kila (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle indicating report/hearsay)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandavana (within Avimukta/Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Kalaśaja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the luminous grove of Ānandavana, Śiva and Śakti sit in intimate delight; from their serene play arises a subtle ripple of intention, hinting at a new manifestation to be brought forth, while sages and celestial beings sense the shift in the sacred air.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śakti (implied)
• Ānandavana
• Agastya (Kalaśaja)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred tīrthas arise from the divine will within Kāśī; the geography is presented as a manifestation of Śiva-Śakti’s līlā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānandavana in Kāśī, as the setting for the emergence of the Maṇikarṇikā narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a mythic prelude describing the divine intention behind sacred manifestation.