Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

मणिकर्णीजलं येन संपीतं शुद्धबुद्धिना । किं तस्य सोमपानैस्तैः पुनरावृत्तिलक्षणैः

Transliteration

maṇikarṇījalaṃ yena saṃpītaṃ śuddhabuddhinā | kiṃ tasya somapānaistaiḥ punarāvṛttilakṣaṇaiḥ

Translation

مَن شربَ ماءَ مانيكارنيكا بعقلٍ مُطهَّر، فما حاجتُه إلى شرابِ السُّوما الذي لا يزال يحمل سِمةَ العَود (إلى الولادة من جديد)؟

Word by Word

• मणिकर्णीजलम्: the water of Maṇikarṇī
• मणिकर्णीजलम्: Karta (Grammatical subject of passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणिकर्णी-जल (प्रातिपदिक: मणिकर्णी + जल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तृस्थाने (कर्मणि वाक्ये)

• येन: by whom
• येन: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्तृ (passive agent)

• संपीतम्: was drunk
• संपीतम्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; जलम् इति विशेष्य; कर्मणि प्रयोगः

• शुद्धबुद्धिना: with a pure mind
• शुद्धबुद्धिना: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्धबुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक: शुद्ध + बुद्धि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; येन इत्यस्य विशेषण; करण/साधनभावे (with pure understanding)

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक सर्वनाम; ‘किं प्रयोजनम्’ इत्यर्थे

• तस्य: for him / of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• सोमपानैः: with soma-drinkings
• सोमपानैः: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमपान (प्रातिपदिक: सोम + पान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; करण; ‘सोमस्य पानम्’

• तैः: with those
• तैः: Karana (Instrument qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; सोमपानैः इत्यस्य विशेषण/अनुवृत्ति

• पुनरावृत्तिलक्षणैः: characterized by return (rebirth)
• पुनरावृत्तिलक्षणैः: Karana (Instrument qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुनरावृत्ति-लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक: पुनरावृत्ति + लक्षण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; सोमपानैः इति विशेषण; ‘पुनरावृत्तिः लक्षणं येषाम्’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vīra (interlocutor)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene pilgrim with radiant calm drinks a small sip of Maṇikarṇikā water; behind him, a fading scene of Soma sacrifice and celestial pleasures dissolves, symbolizing transcendence of punarāvṛtti.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇikarṇikā
• Soma (Vedic sacrificial drink)
• punarāvṛtti (return/rebirth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha is presented as granting a higher, liberation-oriented fruit than ritual enjoyments that may still end in saṃsāric return.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā tīrtha of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Drinking Maṇikarṇikā water with śuddha-buddhi (pure intention); Soma-drinking is referenced as a comparative Vedic rite.