Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

मणिकर्ण्युपविष्टस्य यत्सुखं जायते सतः । सिंहासनोपविष्टस्य तत्सुखं क्व शतक्रतोः

Transliteration

maṇikarṇyupaviṣṭasya yatsukhaṃ jāyate sataḥ | siṃhāsanopaviṣṭasya tatsukhaṃ kva śatakratoḥ

Translation

Die Freude, die dem Tugendhaften erwächst, der in Maṇikarṇikā sitzt—wo ist eine solche Freude für Śatakratu (Indra) auf seinem Thron?

Word by Word

• मणिकर्ण्याम्: in Maṇikarṇī
• मणिकर्ण्याम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणिकर्णी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• उपविष्टस्य: of (one) seated
• उपविष्टस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-√विश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past active participle in sense of ‘seated’); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive: ‘of one seated’)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यत् (relative pronoun)

• सुखम्: happiness
• सुखम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• जायते: arises
• जायते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• सतः: of the good man/devotee
• सतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; ‘सत्’ = साधु/भक्त (of the good/devotee)

• सिंहासन: throne
• सिंहासन: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंहासन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषे पूर्वपद (in compound)

• उपविष्टस्य: of (one) seated
• उपविष्टस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-√विश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देशक-सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• सुखम्: happiness
• सुखम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• क्व: where (is it)?
• क्व: Sambandha (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: ‘where?’/‘how could?’)

• शतक्रतोः: of Śatakratu (Indra)
• शतक्रतोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतक्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; इन्द्रस्य नाम (epithet of Indra)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Contrast scene: a humble virtuous pilgrim seated at Maṇikarṇikā experiencing luminous joy, juxtaposed with Indra on a jeweled throne whose pleasure appears lesser; Gaṅgā and ghats anchor the setting.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇikarṇikā
• Śatakratu (Indra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The bliss born of proximity to a liberating tīrtha in Kāśī surpasses even the royal pleasures of heaven.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā (the famed tīrtha/ghāṭa of Kāśī on the Gaṅgā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse praises the spiritual fruit of being present/seated at Maṇikarṇikā.