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

“Doon, para sa mga nananahan nang matatag sa Ānandavana, maging ang biyaya ng ganap na kaligtasan ay madaling makamtan—ano pa kaya ang iba pang munting hangarin?”

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.