Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

आनंदकाननं शंभोः क्षेत्रमेतदनादिमत् । अत्र संस्थितिमापन्ना मुक्ता एव न संशयः

Transliteration

ānaṃdakānanaṃ śaṃbhoḥ kṣetrametadanādimat | atra saṃsthitimāpannā muktā eva na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

此即阿难陀迦那那——喜乐之林，乃商婆（湿婆）之圣域，其神圣无始无终。凡得以安住于此者，确已解脱；对此毫无疑惑。

Word by Word

• आनन्दकाननम्: the forest of bliss
• आनन्दकाननम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन — Nom./Acc. singular

• शम्भोः: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• क्षेत्रम्: field/place
• क्षेत्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन — Nom./Acc. singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन — Nom./Acc. singular

• अनादिमत्: beginningless; without origin
• अनादिमत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनादि (प्रातिपदिक) + मत् (तद्धित/प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन — Nom./Acc. singular; 'मतुप्' प्रत्ययार्थः (possessing)

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

• संस्थितिम्: abiding/residence
• संस्थितिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संस्थिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• आपन्नाः: having attained
• आपन्नाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ+√पद् (गत्यर्थे) (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन — Nominative plural; कर्तरि क्त (having attained)

• मुक्ताः: liberated
• मुक्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्त (कृदन्त; √मुच् (मोचने) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन — Nominative plural; विधेय-विशेषण

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Nominative singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogues commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandakānana (within Kāśī/Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous sacred forest-city: Ānandakānana as a grove of bliss with Śiva’s presence permeating trees, shrines, and the air; liberated beings dwell serenely, suggesting ‘sthiti’ as freedom.

Characters & Entities

• Ānandakānana
• Śambhu
• Kāśī
• Mukti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ānandakānana (Kāśī) is depicted as Śiva’s timeless sacred realm where dwelling/abiding leads to liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānandakānana—an epithet for Kāśī/Vārāṇasī as Śiva’s blissful sacred forest.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse emphasizes ‘abiding’ in the kṣetra; it does not specify a particular vrata, dāna, or japa.