Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

कल्पांतरेपि न त्यक्तं कदाप्यानंदकाननम् । येन लिंगस्वरूपेण महादेवेन सर्वथा

Transliteration

kalpāṃtarepi na tyaktaṃ kadāpyānaṃdakānanam | yena liṃgasvarūpeṇa mahādevena sarvathā

Translation

कल्पान्तरेऽपि कदापि न त्यज्यतेऽऽनन्दकाननम्; यतो महादेवो लिङ्गस्वरूपेण तत्र सर्वथा तिष्ठति।

Word by Word

• कल्पान्तरे: in another kalpa (aeon)
• कल्पान्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (कल्पस्य अन्तरे)

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (also/even)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• त्यक्तम्: abandoned
• त्यक्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे—‘abandoned’

• कदापि: ever, at any time
• कदापि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदा (अव्यय) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययसमूह; कालवाचक (ever/at any time)

• आनन्दकाननम्: the forest called Ānanda (Ānandakānana)
• आनन्दकाननम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आनन्दस्य काननम्)

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• लिङ्गस्वरूपेण: in the form of the Liṅga
• लिङ्गस्वरूपेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लिङ्गस्य स्वरूपम्)

• महादेवेन: by Mahādeva
• महादेवेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• सर्वथा: in every way, always
• सर्वथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (in every way/always)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa context, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandakānana (Ānandavana)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the brink of cosmic dissolution—darkened skies and swirling waters—Ānandakānana remains luminous; at its heart stands Mahādeva as a radiant liṅga, untouched by pralaya.

Characters & Entities

• Ānandakānana
• Mahādeva
• Liṅga (liṅgasvarūpa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sanctity is cosmic and enduring, grounded in Śiva’s permanent presence as the Liṅga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānandakānana/Avimukta region of Kāśī, portrayed as eternally protected and inhabited by Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated; the emphasis is on the kṣetra’s timeless holiness due to Śiva’s Liṅga-presence.