Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

अन्यत्रापि हि सा देवि भवेदानंदकारणम् । अत्रानंदवने देवि परमानंदजन्मनि

Transliteration

anyatrāpi hi sā devi bhavedānaṃdakāraṇam | atrānaṃdavane devi paramānaṃdajanmani

Translation

अन्यत्रापि हि, देवि, सा आनन्दस्य कारणं भवेत्; अत्र तु आनन्दवने, देवि, परमानन्दस्य जन्मस्थानमेव।

Word by Word

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; ‘also/even’)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; emphasis/causal)

• सा: she, that (goddess)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• देवि: O देवी
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• भवेत्: would be, may become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आनन्दकारणम्: cause of bliss
• आनन्दकारणम्: Karmapravachaniya/Predicate (Complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आनन्दस्य कारणम्)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक/adverb of place)

• आनन्दवने: in the forest of bliss (Ānandavana)
• आनन्दवने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आनन्दस्य वनम्)

• देवि: O देवी
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• परमानन्दजन्मनि: in (that which is) the birthplace of supreme bliss
• परमानन्दजन्मनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (परम-आनन्दस्य जन्म)

Speaker

Śiva, speaking to Gaurī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandavana (within Kāśī/Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī/Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva speaks to Devī, contrasting ordinary places of happiness with Ānandavana as the very womb of supreme bliss; the grove is luminous, filled with liṅgas and gentle gaṅgā-breeze.

Characters & Entities

• Ānandavana (Kāśī)
• Gaurī
• Supreme bliss (Paramānanda)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Many sacred places grant joy, but Kāśī is celebrated as uniquely generating the highest bliss tied to liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānandavana in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; the emphasis is on the exceptional status of the place.