Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

वेदान्पठित्वा विधिवद्ब्रह्मयज्ञरता भुवि । यां श्रयंति द्विजा मुक्त्यै सेयं श्रीमणिकर्णिका

Transliteration

vedānpaṭhitvā vidhivadbrahmayajñaratā bhuvi | yāṃ śrayaṃti dvijā muktyai seyaṃ śrīmaṇikarṇikā

Translation

Having duly studied the Vedas and devoted themselves on earth to the Brahma-yajña (sacred study and recitation), the twice-born take refuge in her for liberation—this indeed is the glorious Maṇikarṇikā.

Word by Word

• वेदान्: the Vedas
• वेदान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• पठित्वा: having recited/read
• पठित्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पठ् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाले क्रिया (having done)

• विधिवत्: according to rule, duly
• विधिवत्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• ब्रह्मयज्ञरताः: devoted to the Brahma-yajña
• ब्रह्मयज्ञरताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मयज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्म + यज्ञ) + रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying द्विजाः)

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• याम्: whom/which (that)
• याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• श्रयन्ति: take refuge in, resort to
• श्रयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रि (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• द्विजाः: twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• मुक्त्यै: for liberation
• मुक्त्यै: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजन (for the sake of)

• सा: that (she/that place)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; निदर्शन (this)

• श्रीमणिकर्णिका: the sacred Maṇikarṇikā
• श्रीमणिकर्णिका: Samanaadhikarana (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीमणिकर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक; श्री + मणिकर्णिका)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; स्थाननाम (proper noun)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrī Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame) / or Kāśī-māhātmya interlocutors (internal)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vedic scholars with matted hair-knots and sacred threads recite from palm-leaf manuscripts near the Gaṅgā steps at Maṇikarṇikā; smoke from distant pyres rises; a subtle presence of Śiva as the unseen liberator pervades the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇikarṇikā
• Kāśī (Varanasi)
• Veda
• Brahma-yajña
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the merit of Vedic learning is crowned by taking refuge in the liberating tīrtha of Maṇikarṇikā for mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śrī Maṇikarṇikā in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), famed as a mokṣa-conferring sacred spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Brahma-yajña—disciplined study/recitation of the Vedas as a sacred duty.