Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

चीर्णान्युग्राण्यरण्येषु तैस्तपांसि तपोधनैः । यैरियं हि समासादि मुक्तिभूर्मणिकर्णिका

Transliteration

cīrṇānyugrāṇyaraṇyeṣu taistapāṃsi tapodhanaiḥ | yairiyaṃ hi samāsādi muktibhūrmaṇikarṇikā

Translation

In den Wäldern übten die an Tapas Reichen strenge Askesen; durch sie wurde wahrlich diese Maṇikarṇikā erreicht, diese eigentliche „Stätte der Befreiung“.

Word by Word

• चीर्णानि: performed, practiced
• चीर्णानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √चर् (धातु) → चीर्ण (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) used adjectivally

• उग्राणि: austere, severe
• उग्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• अरण्येषु: in forests
• अरण्येषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन (locative plural)

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (instrumental plural)

• तपांसि: austerities
• तपांसि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• तपोधनैः: by the ascetics (rich in austerity)
• तपोधनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तपः-धन = whose wealth is tapas)

• यैः: by whom
• यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (instrumental plural)

• इयम्: this (she/this place)
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), emphasis/indeed

• समासादि: was attained/approached
• समासादि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + √सद् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; (सम्-आ-√सद्) = approached/attained

• मुक्तिभूः: the ground of liberation
• मुक्तिभूः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मुक्तेः भूः = ground/source of liberation)

• मणिकर्णिका: Maṇikarṇikā
• मणिकर्णिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणिकर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer (typical frame: sages/devotees seeking Kāśī’s greatness)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Forest ascetics—matted hair, bark garments—performing fierce austerities; the scene dissolves into Kāśī’s Maṇikarṇikā ghat with sacred smoke, river steps, and the sense of ‘muktibhūmi’.

Characters & Entities

• Māṇikarṇikā
• Tapodhanas (ascetics)
• Forest austerities (araṇya-tapas)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Māṇikarṇikā is presented as the fruition of intense tapas—an attained state and place leading toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Māṇikarṇikā, called mukti-bhū (the ground of liberation), in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Austerity (tapas) as a preparatory dharmic discipline culminating in reaching the tīrtha.