Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

इत्येतदुत्तमं क्षेत्रमविमुक्ते महाफलम् । मणिकर्णी ह्रदे स्नात्वा दृष्ट्वा विश्वेश्वरंविभुम्

Transliteration

ityetaduttamaṃ kṣetramavimukte mahāphalam | maṇikarṇī hrade snātvā dṛṣṭvā viśveśvaraṃvibhum

Translation

So ist dieses höchste heilige Feld—Avimukta—von großer Frucht. Wer im Teich der Maṇikarṇī badet und Viśveśvara, den allgegenwärtigen Herrn, schaut, (erlangt dieses Verdienst).

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Discourse marker/इति-समाप्ति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः (quotative particle)

• etat: this
• etat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः

• uttamam: excellent, supreme
• uttamam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• kṣetram: sacred field/place
• kṣetram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• avimukte: in Avimukta (Kāśī)
• avimukte: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avimukta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे (स्थाननाम), सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• mahāphalam: greatly fruitful
• mahāphalam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (महच्च तत् फलम्)

• maṇikarṇī: in Maṇikarṇī (the sacred pond)
• maṇikarṇī: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṇikarṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; (नदी/ह्रद-नाम) अधिकरण

• hrade: in the pond
• hrade: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hrada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Kriya (पूर्वकर्म/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; धातुः स्ना (स्नान)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriya (पूर्वकर्म/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; धातुः दृश् (दर्शन)

• viśveśvaram: Viśveśvara (Lord of the universe)
• viśveśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विश्वस्य ईश्वरः)

• vibhum: the all-pervading one
• vibhum: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta Kṣetra; Maṇikarṇī Hrada; Viśveśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim approaches the Maṇikarṇī pool at dawn, performs ablutions, then proceeds through narrow lanes to behold Viśveśvara, the all-pervading Lord, amid lamps, bells, and flowing Gaṅgā presence.

Characters & Entities

• Avimukta
• Maṇikarṇī
• Viśveśvara
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Avimukta’s greatness is accessed through tīrtha-bathing and Śiva-darśana, yielding profound spiritual fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇī (tīrtha/pool) and Viśveśvara in Avimukta (Kāśī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) in Maṇikarṇī-hrada and darśana (seeing/worshipful audience) of Viśveśvara.