Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 140

Devanagari script

आनंदकाननं पुण्यं पुण्यं पांचनदं ततः । ततोपि मम सान्निध्यमग्निबिंदो महामुने

Transliteration

ānaṃdakānanaṃ puṇyaṃ puṇyaṃ pāṃcanadaṃ tataḥ | tatopi mama sānnidhyamagnibiṃdo mahāmune

Translation

ఆనందకాననం పుణ్యమైనది, దానికన్నా పుణ్యమైనది పంచనదం; అయితే వాటికన్నా మించినది, ఓ మహాముని అగ్నిబిందూ, నా సాన్నిధ్యం।

Word by Word

• आनन्द-काननम्: the forest of bliss (Ānandakānana)
• आनन्द-काननम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (आनन्दस्य काननम्)

• पुण्यम्: holy
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• पुण्यम्: holy
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (पुनरुक्ति)

• पाञ्चनदम्: Pāñcanada (place/region)
• पाञ्चनदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाञ्चनद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ततः: thereafter/then
• ततः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततस् (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ‘then/from there/thereafter’

• ततः: than that/thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततस् (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ‘than that/thereafter’; ‘ततोऽपि’ इत्यत्र पूर्वपद

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-निपात (also/even)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• सान्निध्यम्: presence/nearby abode
• सान्निध्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सान्निध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अग्निबिन्दो: O Agnibindu
• अग्निबिन्दो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निबिन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• महामुने: O great sage
• महामुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महान् मुनिः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue style; addressing Agnibindu explicitly)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandakānana / Pañcanada (Kāśī sub-tīrthas)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agnibindu (mahāmuni)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic sacred map-like scene of Kāśī: a verdant grove labeled Ānandakānana, a riverine confluence motif for Pañcanada, and at the center a radiant locus indicating ‘My presence’; the sage Agnibindu listens in reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Ānandakānana
• Pañcanada
• Agnibindu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Degrees of sanctity are affirmed, culminating in the highest fruit: direct divine presence (sānnidhya).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānandakānana and Pañcanada are explicitly praised within the Kāśī sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse functions as a māhātmya statement ranking sanctity and divine proximity.