Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

निर्वाणलक्ष्मीभवनं श्रीमतीमणिकर्णिका । मंत्रं तस्याश्च वक्ष्यामि भक्तकल्पद्रुमाभिधम् । यस्यावर्तनतः सिद्ध्येदपि सिद्ध्यष्टकं नृणाम्

Transliteration

nirvāṇalakṣmībhavanaṃ śrīmatīmaṇikarṇikā | maṃtraṃ tasyāśca vakṣyāmi bhaktakalpadrumābhidham | yasyāvartanataḥ siddhyedapi siddhyaṣṭakaṃ nṛṇām

Translation

Die ruhmreiche Maṇikarṇikā ist die eigentliche Wohnstatt des Glücks der Nirvāṇa, der endgültigen Erlösung. Auch will ich ihr Mantra lehren, genannt der «Wunscherfüllende Baum für die Bhaktas»; durch sein wiederholtes Rezitieren entstehen den Menschen sogar die acht Siddhis.

Word by Word

• nirvāṇa-lakṣmī-bhavanam: the abode of liberation and prosperity
• nirvāṇa-lakṣmī-bhavanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nirvāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣmī (प्रातिपदिक) + bhavana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (nom. sg.); नाम (apposition)

• śrīmatī: auspicious, glorious
• śrīmatī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śrīmat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण/उपाधि (fem. nom. sg.)

• maṇikarṇikā: Maṇikarṇikā (sacred place)
• maṇikarṇikā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṇikarṇikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (nom. sg.)

• maṃtram: mantra
• maṃtram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṃtra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (acc. sg.)

• tasyāḥ: of her/its
• tasyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन (gen. sg.)

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

• vakṣyāmi: I shall declare
• vakṣyāmi: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/लृट्), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (sg.), परस्मैपद

• bhakta-kalpadruma-abhidham: named 'Bhakta-kalpadruma' (wish-fulfilling tree for devotees)
• bhakta-kalpadruma-abhidham: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhakta (प्रातिपदिक) + kalpadruma (प्रातिपदिक) + abhidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (acc. sg.)

• yasya: of which/whose
• yasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (gen. sg.)

• āvartanataḥ: from repetition (of it)
• āvartanataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āvartana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (abl. sg., 'from/by repetition')

• siddhyet: would be accomplished
• siddhyet: Kriyā (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sidh सिध् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/सम्भावनार्थ (particle: even/also)

• siddhi-aṣṭakam: the set of eight siddhis
• siddhi-aṣṭakam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + aṣṭaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (nom. sg.); द्विगु-समास (eight siddhis)

• nṛṇām: of men/people
• nṛṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन (gen. pl.)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context typically Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Maṇikarṇikā is envisioned as a radiant abode of nirvāṇa’s fortune; a sage/teacher figure announces a mantra named ‘Bhakta-kalpa-druma’; subtle suggestion of aṣṭa-siddhi symbols (aṇimā etc.) orbiting as light-motes.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇikarṇikā
• Mantra (Bhakta-kalpadruma)
• Aṣṭa-siddhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s Maṇikarṇikā is praised as a direct gateway to liberation, and mantra-japa is presented as a powerful means for both spiritual and extraordinary attainments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), exalted as an abode of nirvāṇa’s prosperity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa (repetition) of Maṇikarṇikā’s mantra called ‘Bhakta-kalpadruma’, said to bestow even the aṣṭa-siddhis.