Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 110

Devanagari script

एतेषामपि तीर्थानां चतुर्णामपि सत्तम । पंचमं मणिकर्ण्याख्यं मनावेयवशुद्धिदम्

Transliteration

eteṣāmapi tīrthānāṃ caturṇāmapi sattama | paṃcamaṃ maṇikarṇyākhyaṃ manāveyavaśuddhidam

Translation

O Bester der Tugendhaften, selbst unter diesen vier Tīrthas gibt es ein fünftes, Maṇikarṇī (Maṇikarṇikā) genannt, das Läuterung bis in die feinste Faser des Seins verleiht und Geist und Leib makellos macht.

Word by Word

• एतेषाम्: of these
• एतेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (gen. pl.)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle)

• तीर्थानाम्: of sacred fords/holy places
• तीर्थानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (neut. gen. pl.)

• चतुर्णाम्: of four
• चतुर्णाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्याशब्द/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण (gen. pl.; ‘of four’)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle)

• सत्तम: O best of the good
• सत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; संबोधन (voc. sg.)

• पञ्चमम्: the fifth
• पञ्चमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (neut. acc. sg.)

• मणिकर्ण्याख्यम्: named Maṇikarṇī
• मणिकर्ण्याख्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मणिकर्णी + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘मणिकर्ण्या आख्यं’ = named Maṇikarṇī) (neut. acc. sg.)

• मनावेयवशुद्धिदम्: giving purification of the mind’s faculties
• मनावेयवशुद्धिदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनस् + अवयव + शुद्धि + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (मनसः अवयवानां शुद्धिं ददाति) (neut. acc. sg.)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇī / Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Five tīrtha emblems arranged like petals; the fifth (Maṇikarṇikā) shines brightest; a pilgrim’s mind depicted as a dark cloud clearing into a clear sky as he steps into the water; subtle aura around the head and heart indicating manas-śuddhi.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇikarṇikā
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is graded: Maṇikarṇikā is proclaimed a culminating tīrtha whose contact purifies the whole person—inner mind and outer conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā (also styled Maṇikarṇī), elevated as a ‘fifth’ preeminent tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the implied practice is tīrtha-sevā—approach, bathing, and reverent engagement that yields śuddhi (purification).