Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

जगन्मंगलभूर्यात्र परमा मणिकर्णिका । विपाशयामि तत्राहं कर्मभिः पाशितान्पशून्

Transliteration

jaganmaṃgalabhūryātra paramā maṇikarṇikā | vipāśayāmi tatrāhaṃ karmabhiḥ pāśitānpaśūn

Translation

Hier ist die höchste Maṇikarṇikā, überreich an Heil und Segen für die Welt, die erhabenste Pilgerfahrt. Dort löse Ich die durch ihr eigenes Karma gefesselten Wesen und befreie sie.

Word by Word

• जगन्मंगलभूः: the source of the world’s auspiciousness
• जगन्मंगलभूः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + मङ्गल + भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular); तत्पुरुषः (जगतः मङ्गलस्य भूः = source/ground of the world’s auspiciousness)

• यात्रा: pilgrimage/holy journey
• यात्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• परमा: supreme
• परमा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular); विशेषण (qualifying मणिकर्णिका/यात्रा)

• मणिकर्णिका: Maṇikarṇikā (sacred place/ghāṭ)
• मणिकर्णिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणि + कर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular); तत्पुरुषः (मणेः कर्णिका)

• विपाशयामि: I unbind/free
• विपाशयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + √पाश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative sense: ‘I cause to be unbound/free’)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative, Singular)

• कर्मभिः: by deeds (karmas)
• कर्मभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Plural)

• पाशितान्: bound
• पाशितान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाशित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √पाश्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Plural); भूतकृदन्त/कर्मणि-प्रयोग (past passive participle: ‘bound’)

• पशून्: beings (as ‘cattle’/creatures)
• पशून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Plural)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Seekers/pilgrims within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Maṇikarṇikā ghāṭ with funeral pyres, priests, and pilgrims; above, an unseen compassionate Śiva presence symbolically cutting karmic bonds; the mood is solemn yet liberative.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇikarṇikā
• Kāśī (Varanasi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Maṇikarṇikā is celebrated as a liberating locus where karmic bondage is loosened by divine power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā in Kāśī (Varanasi), famed as a supreme pilgrimage and liberation-ground.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pilgrimage (yātrā) to Maṇikarṇikā is implied; the verse chiefly stresses karmic release rather than a specific ritual act.