Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

महामहोपचारैश्च न विघ्नैरभिभूयते । मणिप्रदीपो नागोऽस्ति तस्माद्रुद्रादुदग्दिशि

Transliteration

mahāmahopacāraiśca na vighnairabhibhūyate | maṇipradīpo nāgo'sti tasmādrudrādudagdiśi

Translation

—durch große Opfergaben und ehrfürchtige Verehrung wird man von Hindernissen nicht überwältigt. Nördlich von jenem Rudra ist ein Nāga namens Maṇipradīpa.

Word by Word

• mahāmahopacāraiḥ: with great ceremonial offerings
• mahāmahopacāraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + mahā-upacāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचनम्; ‘महान्तः महोपचाराः’ इति कर्मधारयः; करणम् (instrumental)

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

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपातः (negation)

• vighnaiḥ: by obstacles
• vighnaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vighna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्; करणम्

• abhibhūyate: is overcome / is overpowered
• abhibhūyate: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-bhū (धातु)
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is overpowered)

• maṇipradīpaḥ: the jewel-lamp
• maṇipradīpaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṇi (प्रातिपदिक) + pradīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; ‘मणेः प्रदीपः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• nāgaḥ: a serpent (Nāga)
• nāgaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• asti: is / exists
• asti: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• tasmāt: from there / therefore
• tasmāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः/नपुंसकलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी, एकवचनम्; अपादानम् (ablative)

• rudrāt: from Rudra
• rudrāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी, एकवचनम्; अपादानम्

• udakdiśi: in the northern direction
• udakdiśi: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: udak-diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; ‘उदक् (उत्तर) दिशा’ इति कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः; अधिकरणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇipradīpa Nāga-sthāna (north of Vṛṣa-Rudra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kumbhaja (Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers grand upacāras at a Rudra shrine; beyond, to the north, a radiant serpent-being Maṇipradīpa glows like a jeweled lamp amid a small sacred grove.

Characters & Entities

• Vighna
• Rudra
• Maṇipradīpa Nāga
• Udagdiś (north)
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Generous, reverent worship (mahā-upacāra) is portrayed as a dharmic force that prevents vighnas from prevailing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A northern point in the Kāśī sacred geography where the Nāga Maṇipradīpa is located, near the Rudra previously described.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform worship with great offerings (mahāmahopacāra); the result is freedom from being overcome by obstacles.