Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

सर्वतीर्थावगाहाच्च यावज्जन्म यदर्ज्यते । तदानंदवने प्राप्यं मणिकर्ण्येकमज्जनात्

Transliteration

sarvatīrthāvagāhācca yāvajjanma yadarjyate | tadānaṃdavane prāpyaṃ maṇikarṇyekamajjanāt

Translation

Das Verdienst, das man in einem ganzen Leben durch das Bad in allen Tīrthas erlangt, wird in Ānandavana (Kāśī) durch ein einziges Untertauchen in Maṇikarṇikā gewonnen.

Word by Word

• सर्वतीर्थावगाहात्: from bathing in all sacred fords
• सर्वतीर्थावगाहात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-तीर्थ-अवगाह (प्रातिपदिक; अवगाह < अव√गाह् (धातु))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां तीर्थानाम् अवगाहः)

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

• यावत्-जन्म: for as long as one lives
• यावत्-जन्म: Adhikarana (Temporal locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत्-जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (adverbial: ‘as long as life’)

• यत्: whatever (that which)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• अर्ज्यते: is obtained/earned
• अर्ज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तद्-शब्दः (correlative)

• आनन्दवने: in Ānandavana
• आनन्दवने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्द-वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आनन्दस्य वनम्)

• प्राप्यम्: is attainable
• प्राप्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राप्य (कृदन्त; √आप् (धातु) + प्र)
• Form: भाव्य/योग्यतार्थक कृदन्त (gerundive/तव्यत्-प्रत्ययार्थ), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषणम्

• मणिकर्ण्येकमज्जनात्: from a single dip at Maṇikarṇī
• मणिकर्ण्येकमज्जनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणिकर्णी-एक-मज्जन (प्रातिपदिक; मज्जन < √मज्ज् (धातु))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मणिकर्ण्यां एकं मज्जनम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā (Ānandavana, Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/saints (typical Purāṇic audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dawn on the Gaṅgā at Maṇikarṇikā: pilgrims descend stone steps, a single devotee immerses while temple spires and cremation fires glow in the background, suggesting Kāśī’s union of tīrtha and mokṣa.

Characters & Entities

• Ānandavana
• Maṇikarṇikā
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s Maṇikarṇikā is praised as supremely efficacious—one sincere act there equals vast pilgrimage-merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā in Ānandavana (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (a single ritual immersion) in Maṇikarṇikā.