Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

त्रिलोके ये जपंतीह मानवा मणिकर्णिकाम् । जपामि तानहं वीर त्रिकालं पुण्यकर्मणः

Transliteration

triloke ye japaṃtīha mānavā maṇikarṇikām | japāmi tānahaṃ vīra trikālaṃ puṇyakarmaṇaḥ

Translation

يا أيها البطل، أولئك الناس في العوالم الثلاثة الذين يلهجون هنا بجَپا اسم مانيكارنيكا—إياهم أذكر أنا وأتلو أسماءهم ثلاث مرات في اليوم، بوصفهم فاعلي الأعمال المقدّسة.

Word by Word

• त्रिलोके: in the three worlds
• त्रिलोके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिलोक (प्रातिपदिक: त्रि + लोक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरण (स्थान)

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• जपन्ति: they recite
• जपन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Desha/Adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• मानवाः: humans
• मानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ये इति विशेष्य

• मणिकर्णिकाम्: Maṇikarṇikā (the sacred place/ghāṭ)
• मणिकर्णिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणिकर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म

• जपामि: I recite
• जपामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• तान्: those (people)
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; कर्म

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुषवाचक सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्ता

• वीर: O hero
• वीर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; संबोधन

• त्रिकालम्: at the three times (morning-noon-evening)
• त्रिकालम्: Kala (Temporal adjunct/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिकाल (प्रातिपदिक: त्रि + काल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (accusative of time)

• पुण्यकर्मणः: of meritorious actions / virtuous
• पुण्यकर्मणः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्यकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक: पुण्य + कर्मन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; मानवाः इति विशेषण (those of meritorious deeds)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A heroic interlocutor (vīra; traditionally a sage/king in Kāśī-khaṇḍa dialogue frames)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at Maṇikarṇikā ghat softly repeats the tīrtha-name; above, a protective deity-figure symbolically ‘recites’ the devotee’s name thrice daily, indicating divine remembrance.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇikarṇikā
• three worlds (Trailoka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even simple japa of a sacred tīrtha’s name, done with devotion, is treated as a powerful act of puṇya and is divinely acknowledged.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā in Kāśī (Varanasi), renowned in the Skanda Purāṇa as an exceptionally meritorious sacred spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa—repetition/chanting of the name “Maṇikarṇikā,” with emphasis on trikāla (three daily times).