Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

सुलभा यत्र नियतमानंदवनचारिणः । अपि नैःश्रेयसी लक्ष्मीः किमन्येल्प मनोरथाः

Transliteration

sulabhā yatra niyatamānaṃdavanacāriṇaḥ | api naiḥśreyasī lakṣmīḥ kimanyelpa manorathāḥ

Translation

यत्र नियतम् आनन्दवनचारिणः सुलभाः; अपि नैःश्रेयसी लक्ष्मीः—किमन्येऽल्पमनोरथाः?

Word by Word

• सुलभा: easily obtainable
• सुलभा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुलभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Desha (Locative sense/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverb: place)

• नियतम्: certainly/always
• नियतम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नियत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverbial accusative/indeclinable usage: 'certainly/always')

• आनन्दवनचारिणः: those who dwell/roam in Ānandavana
• आनन्दवनचारिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + वन (प्रातिपदिक) + चारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (आनन्दवने चारिणः = those who roam in Ānandavana)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक-अव्यय (particle: 'even/also')

• नैःश्रेयसी: leading to the highest good (final beatitude)
• नैःश्रेयसी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नैःश्रेयस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (to लक्ष्मीः)

• लक्ष्मीः: fortune/prosperity (Lakṣmī)
• लक्ष्मीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• किम्: what (need to say)
• किम्: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle: 'what then?')

• अन्ये: other
• अन्ये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (to मनोरथाः)

• अल्प: small/insignificant
• अल्प: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (to मनोरथाः)

• मनोरथाः: desires/wishes
• मनोरथाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनोरथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Tvāṣṭra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandavana (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: the muni/tapasvin

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims/ascetics calmly residing in a luminous grove of Kāśī; above them a symbolic lotus labeled ‘naiḥśreyasa’ appears within reach, while small desire-objects fade into insignificance.

Characters & Entities

• Ānandavana
• Naiḥśreyasa (highest good)
• Lakṣmī (as fortune/boon)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When the highest good (naiḥśreyasa) is easy in Kāśī’s Ānandavana, worldly aims become insignificant; prioritize liberation over minor gains.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānandavana in Kāśī, praised as a place where mokṣa-oriented prosperity is readily available.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the implied discipline is steady residence/engagement in Ānandavana (niyatam … cāriṇaḥ) as a devotional life-choice.