Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

अनशनव्रतभृते त्रिकालाभ्यवहारिणे । प्रांते दद्यात्समां मुक्तिमुभाभ्यां मणिकर्णिका

Transliteration

anaśanavratabhṛte trikālābhyavahāriṇe | prāṃte dadyātsamāṃ muktimubhābhyāṃ maṇikarṇikā

Translation

To one who bears the vow of fasting, and to one who eats at the three appointed times, Maṇikarṇikā bestows, at life’s end, an equal liberation upon both.

Word by Word

• अनशन-व्रत-भृते: to one who observes the fasting vow
• अनशन-व्रत-भृते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनशन (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + भृत् (धातु) → भृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (अनशनस्य व्रतस्य भर्ता/धारकः) — Masculine, Dative, Singular

• त्रि-काल-अभ्यवहारिणे: to one who eats at the three times (a day)
• त्रि-काल-अभ्यवहारिणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक) + अभ्यवहारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी/तत्पुरुषः (त्रिषु कालेषु अभ्यवहरति) — Masculine, Dative, Singular

• प्रान्ते: at the end (of life)
• प्रान्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular

• दद्यात्: would give/grant
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Optative, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• समाम्: equal/same
• समाम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (मुक्तिम्) — Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• मुक्तिम्: liberation
• मुक्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• उभाभ्याम्: by/for both (types)
• उभाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उभ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (सर्वनाम), तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), द्विवचन — Instrumental, Dual (both)

• मणिकर्णिका: Maṇikarṇikā
• मणिकर्णिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणिकर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sage addressed as ‘mune’ (frame audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two pilgrims at the ghāṭ: one emaciated from fasting, another healthy from regular meals; both stand equally before the sacred steps and firelight, with a calm, impartial radiance descending—symbolizing equal mukti at life’s end.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇikarṇikā
• Anaśana-vrata (fasting vow)
• Trikāla-bhojana (eating thrice daily)
• Mukti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The liberating grace of Maṇikarṇikā is not limited to extreme asceticism; it is portrayed as equally accessible to different lifestyles.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā tīrtha in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Fasting (anaśana-vrata) is mentioned, along with ordinary regulated eating (trikāla-abhyavahāra), to show both can culminate in liberation through the tīrtha.