Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

आनंदकाननं शंभोश्चक्रपुष्करिणी हरेः । परब्रह्मैकसुक्षेत्रं लीलामोक्षसमर्पकम्

Transliteration

ānaṃdakānanaṃ śaṃbhoścakrapuṣkariṇī hareḥ | parabrahmaikasukṣetraṃ līlāmokṣasamarpakam

Translation

یہ شَمبھو کا آنندکانن ہے؛ یہ ہری کی چکرپشکرِنی ہے؛ یہ پرَب्रह्म کا یکتا برتر کشتَر ہے—جو لیلا کے طور پر موکش عطا کرتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• आनन्दकाननम्: the forest of bliss (Ānandakānana)
• आनन्दकाननम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्द+कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः आनन्दस्य काननम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• शम्भोः: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• चक्रपुष्करिणी: Cakrapuṣkariṇī (sacred tank)
• चक्रपुष्करिणी: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र+पुष्करिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः चक्रस्य पुष्करिणी (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• हरेः: of Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• परब्रह्मैकसुक्षेत्रम्: the unique excellent field of the Supreme Brahman
• परब्रह्मैकसुक्षेत्रम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परब्रह्मन्+एक+सु+क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (बहुपद-तत्पुरुष) परं ब्रह्म (कर्मधारय) + एक (विशेषण) + सुक्षेत्र (कर्मधारय); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• लीलामोक्षसमर्पकम्: bestowing liberation playfully
• लीलामोक्षसमर्पकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लीला+मोक्ष+समर्पक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः लीलया मोक्षं समर्पयतीति (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/उपपद); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (context continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandakānana / Cakrapuṣkariṇī (within Kāśī-Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary description of Kāśī as a luminous sacred grove and tank, simultaneously Śiva’s and Viṣṇu’s, culminating in the idea of a single Brahman-field that playfully bestows liberation.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Ānandakānana
• Cakrapuṣkariṇī
• Parabrahman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is proclaimed as a supreme mokṣa-kṣetra where Śiva and Viṣṇu’s sanctities converge in the one reality of Parabrahman.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānandakānana (the bliss-forest of Kāśī) and Cakrapuṣkariṇī, within the Kāśī sacred topography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed; the verse functions as sthala-stuti (praise of the holy region) emphasizing mokṣa.