Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

महादानानि दत्तानि तेन वै पुण्यकर्मणा । येनाहमर्चितो वीर संप्राप्य मणिकर्णिकाम्

Transliteration

mahādānāni dattāni tena vai puṇyakarmaṇā | yenāhamarcito vīra saṃprāpya maṇikarṇikām

Translation

لقد قدّم ذلك الرجل ذو الاستحقاق حقًّا عطايا عظيمة؛ إذ يا أيها البطل، لما بلغ مانيكارنيكا عبدني وقرّب لي العبادة.

Word by Word

• महादानानि: great gifts
• महादानानि: Karta (Grammatical subject of passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादान (प्रातिपदिक: महा + दान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्तृस्थाने (कर्मणि वाक्ये)

• दत्तानि: were given
• दत्तानि: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्तृ (passive agent)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• पुण्यकर्मणा: by the doer of meritorious deeds
• पुण्यकर्मणा: Kartr (Agent qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्यकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक: पुण्य + कर्मन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तेन इति विशेषण (by the virtuous one)

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; करण/हेतु

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karma (Patient in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्ता (कर्मणि वाक्ये कर्मभूतः)

• अर्चितः: was worshipped/honoured
• अर्चितः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अहम् इति विशेष्य; कर्मणि प्रयोगः

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

• संप्राप्य: having reached
• संप्राप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having attained)

• मणिकर्णिकाम्: Maṇikarṇikā
• मणिकर्णिकाम्: Karma/Desha (Goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणिकर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; गत्यर्थक-क्रियायाः कर्म/देश (goal)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vīra (interlocutor)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim arrives at Maṇikarṇikā, offers water and lamp in worship to Śiva’s presence, while attendants distribute alms/food to the needy on the ghat steps.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇikarṇikā
• Skanda (implicit ‘I’)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity and worship become especially fruitful when anchored in a sacred geography like Maṇikarṇikā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mahādāna (major charitable giving) and arcana/pūjā (worship) after arriving at the tīrtha.