Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

हुत्वाग्निहोत्रमपि च यावज्जीवं द्विजोत्तमाः । अंते श्रयंते मुक्त्यै यां सेयं श्रीमणिकर्णिका

Transliteration

hutvāgnihotramapi ca yāvajjīvaṃ dvijottamāḥ | aṃte śrayaṃte muktyai yāṃ seyaṃ śrīmaṇikarṇikā

Translation

Selbst die Besten der Zweimalgeborenen, die das Agnihotra ein Leben lang dargebracht haben, nehmen am Ende bei Ihr Zuflucht zur Befreiung — sie ist eben diese Śrī Maṇikarṇikā.

Word by Word

• हुत्वा: having offered
• हुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having offered)

• अग्निहोत्रम्: Agnihotra (fire-offering)
• अग्निहोत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + होत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘अग्नौ होत्रम्’/‘अग्नये होत्रम्’ (Agnihotra rite)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चय (particle: also/even)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधि-बोधक (until/as long as)

• जीवम्: for (one’s) lifetime
• जीवम्: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal extent/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् ‘यावत्’ सह (idiom: yāvajjīvam)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: best of the twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘उत्तमाः द्विजाः’ (best of the twice-born)

• अन्ते: at the end
• अन्ते: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालवाचक

• श्रयन्ते: take refuge/resort
• श्रयन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रि (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मुक्त्यै: for liberation
• मुक्त्यै: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन

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

• सा: she/that
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• श्रीमणिकर्णिका: the auspicious Maṇikarṇikā
• श्रीमणिकर्णिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + मणिकर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘श्रीमता मणिकर्णिका’ (glorious Maṇikarṇikā)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Adhyāya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrī Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A venerable dvija who has tended the sacred fires all his life approaches Maṇikarṇikā at life’s end, hands folded; the Agnihotra fires fade into the background as the Gaṅgā and the mokṣa-tīrtha glow, suggesting the transition from ritual merit to final liberation-refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Agnihotra
• Dvijottama
• Mukti
• Maṇikarṇikā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even lifelong Vedic merit culminates in taking refuge in Kāśī’s Maṇikarṇikā, emphasizing tīrtha-grace as the final support for liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śrī Maṇikarṇikā in Kāśī, presented as a final refuge for mukti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Agnihotra is referenced as a lifelong observance; the verse highlights ‘taking refuge’ in Maṇikarṇikā at life’s end for liberation.