Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

त्यक्त्वा पुत्रकलत्रादि सच्छूद्रा न्यायमार्गगाः । निर्वाणप्राप्तये चैनां भजेयुर्मणिकर्णिकाम्

Transliteration

tyaktvā putrakalatrādi sacchūdrā nyāyamārgagāḥ | nirvāṇaprāptaye caināṃ bhajeyurmaṇikarṇikām

Translation

وكذلك الشُّودرا الصالحون، السائرون في طريق الدharma والعدل، إذا تخلّوا عن التعلّق بالأبناء والزوجة وسائر ما سوى ذلك، فليعبدوا وليلتجئوا إلى مانيكارنيكا (Maṇikarṇikā) لنيل النيرفانا (nirvāṇa).

Word by Word

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्यज् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund), ‘having abandoned’

• पुत्रकलत्रादि: sons, wife, and the like
• पुत्रकलत्रादि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + कलत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (पुत्र-कलत्र) + आदि (‘etc.’)

• सत्: good, virtuous
• सत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying शूद्राः)

• शूद्राः: Śūdras
• शूद्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• न्यायमार्गगाः: walking the righteous path
• न्यायमार्गगाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: न्यायमार्ग (प्रातिपदिक; न्याय + मार्ग) + ग (प्रातिपदिक, from √गम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying शूद्राः): ‘going on the path of justice’

• निर्वाणप्राप्तये: for attaining nirvāṇa
• निर्वाणप्राप्तये: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (and)

• एनाम्: her/this (place)
• एनाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; एना-रूप)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भजेयुः: should worship/seek
• भजेयुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• मणिकर्णिकाम्: Maṇikarṇikā
• मणिकर्णिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणिकर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrī Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages / internal Kāśī interlocutors

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humble worker (śūdra) lays aside household tokens, stands with folded hands before a small Śiva shrine near Maṇikarṇikā, offering a simple bilva leaf and lamp; his face shows resolve and peace, with Gaṅgā and ghāṭa behind.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇikarṇikā
• Kāśī (Varanasi)
• Śūdra
• Nirvāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation is open to those who live righteously and cultivate detachment, culminating in devotion to Maṇikarṇikā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā in Kāśī, praised as a means to nirvāṇa/mokṣa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhajana/sevā—devotional worship and resorting to the tīrtha, paired with renunciation of attachments.