Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

मुक्तिलक्ष्मी महापीठ मणिस्तच्चरणाब्जयोः । कर्णिकेयं ततः प्राहुर्यां जना मणिकर्णिकाम्

Transliteration

muktilakṣmī mahāpīṭha maṇistaccaraṇābjayoḥ | karṇikeyaṃ tataḥ prāhuryāṃ janā maṇikarṇikām

Translation

عند قدميه اللوتسيتين يقوم المقعد العظيم للتحرّر، «موكتيلاكشمي»؛ وهناك أيضاً الجوهرة (مَني). لذلك يعلن الناس أنّ ذلك الموضع هو «كَرْنِكَا» أي زينة الأذن، ومن ثمّ يسمّونه «مَنيكَرْنِكَا».

Word by Word

• मुक्तिलक्ष्मीः: the goddess/fortune of liberation
• मुक्तिलक्ष्मीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति-लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक; मुक्ति + लक्ष्मी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मुक्तेः लक्ष्मीः = ‘लक्ष्मी of liberation’)

• महापीठम्: the great seat (sacred pedestal)
• महापीठम्: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महापीठ (प्रातिपदिक; महा + पीठ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् पीठम्)

• मणिः: the jewel (Maṇi)
• मणिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘of that’ (सम्बन्ध)

• चरणाब्जयोः: in/of the two lotus-feet
• चरणाब्जयोः: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरण-अब्ज (प्रातिपदिक; चरण + अब्ज)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी (6th/7th Gen/Loc), द्विवचन; तत्पुरुषः (चरणस्य अब्जम् = ‘lotus of the foot’); ‘of/in the two lotus-feet’

• कर्णिकेयम्: this (place) is the ‘karṇikā’
• कर्णिकेयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्णिका-इदम् (प्रातिपदिक; कर्णिका + इदम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; ‘this is the karṇikā (central pericarp)’

• ततः: therefore; from that
• ततः: Hetu/Source (Ablatival sense/अपादानार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय, तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त; अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (ablatival adverb)

• प्राहुः: they said; they declare
• प्राहुः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आह् (धातु; आह्/अह्)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• याम्: which (place)
• याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-निर्देश (relative pronoun)

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• मणिकर्णिकाम्: Maṇikarṇikā (name of the sacred place)
• मणिकर्णिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणि-कर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक; मणि + कर्णिका)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मणेः कर्णिका)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue frame, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous ghat on the Gaṅgā where Śiva’s lotus-feet are envisioned as the cosmic ground; a radiant ‘Muktilakṣmī’ seat and a jewel motif suggest the name Maṇikarṇikā; pilgrims gaze in devotion as the river glows at dawn.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇikarṇikā
• Muktilakṣmī
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation (mukti) is portrayed as a living presence in Kāśī—Maṇikarṇikā is praised as a supreme seat where mokṣa is especially accessible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā Tīrtha of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), celebrated as a foremost mokṣa-kṣetra spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed in this verse; it primarily establishes the sanctity and name-meaning of Maṇikarṇikā.