Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

यद्दत्तं सुमनोवृत्त्या महादानं तदत्र वै । मुक्तिमंडपिकायां च क्षणं यत्स्थिरमास्यते

Transliteration

yaddattaṃ sumanovṛttyā mahādānaṃ tadatra vai | muktimaṃḍapikāyāṃ ca kṣaṇaṃ yatsthiramāsyate

Translation

Was immer man hier mit reinem und gütigem Sinn gibt, wird wahrlich zu einer «großen Gabe»; und selbst einen Augenblick standhaft in der Mukti-maṇḍapikā zu sitzen, ist von großer Bedeutung.

Word by Word

• yat: whatever (that which)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yat (यद्-प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• dattam: given
• dattam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (दा धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘given’

• su-mano-vṛttyā: with a good disposition
• su-mano-vṛttyā: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + manas (प्रातिपदिक) + vṛtti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सुमनसः वृत्तिः)

• mahā-dānam: a great gift
• mahā-dānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महद् दानम्)

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'here')

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle of emphasis/assurance)

• mukti-maṇḍapikāyām: in the liberation-pavilion
• mukti-maṇḍapikāyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukti (प्रातिपदिक) + maṇḍapikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मुक्तेः मण्डपिका)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• kṣaṇam: for a moment
• kṣaṇam: Karma (Extent/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; कालपरिमाणवाचक

• yat: that which
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yat (यद्-प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• sthiram: steadily
• sthiram: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (यत्)

• āsyate: one sits / is seated
• āsyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√ās (आस् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mukti-maṇḍapikā (Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small pavilion labeled Mukti-maṇḍapikā near temple corridors; a pilgrim sits motionless for a brief moment, eyes half-closed, while another offers a small coin or handful of grain with radiant sincerity.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Mukti-maṇḍapikā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, inner intention sanctifies outer acts—small gifts given with purity become mahādāna, and even brief holy presence is spiritually potent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, especially the Mukti-maṇḍapikā (a liberation-associated sacred pavilion/spot), is praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Charity (dāna) performed with a pure mind, and the practice of sitting in the Mukti-maṇḍapikā even for a moment.