Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

चीर्णसर्वव्रतास्ते तु यथोक्तविधिना ध्रुवम् । यैः स्वतल्पीकृता माणिकर्णिकेयी स्थली मृदुः

Transliteration

cīrṇasarvavratāste tu yathoktavidhinā dhruvam | yaiḥ svatalpīkṛtā māṇikarṇikeyī sthalī mṛduḥ

Translation

Surely they are the ones who have observed every vrata according to the prescribed rule—those who have made the soft ground of Maṇikarṇikā their own humble bed.

Word by Word

• चीर्णसर्वव्रताः: those who have practiced all vows
• चीर्णसर्वव्रताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चीर्ण (√चर्, क्त-कृदन्त) + सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (सर्वव्रतानि) कर्म-तत्पुरुष with क्त-कृदन्त: सर्वव्रतानि चीर्णानि येषां ते

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), contrast

• यथोक्तविधिना: by the prescribed method
• यथोक्तविधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + उक्त (√वच्, क्त) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष: यथोक्तः विधिः = as-prescribed rule; instrumental ‘according to the prescribed procedure’

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (adverbial accusative), certainty

• यैः: by whom
• यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• स्वतल्पीकृता: made (as) one’s bed
• स्वतल्पीकृता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + √कृ (धातु) → कृत (क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-कृदन्त; तत्पुरुष: स्वं तल्पं (शय्या) इव कृतम् = made into one’s bed

• माणिकर्णिकेयी: belonging to Maṇikarṇikā
• माणिकर्णिकेयी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: माणिकर्णिकेय (प्रातिपदिक; मणिकर्णिका-सम्बन्धी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तद्धित (सम्बन्धार्थ) adjective

• स्थली: ground/spot
• स्थली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मृदुः: soft, gentle
• मृदुः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृदु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with स्थली)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devotee/sage audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vow-keepers with sacred marks and rosaries, lying on a simple cloth or directly on the soft earth near Maṇikarṇikā, eyes half-closed in meditation; the Gaṅgā and ghat steps nearby, smoke rising in the distance.

Characters & Entities

• Māṇikarṇikā
• Vrata (vows)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True merit combines disciplined vows with humility—embracing the tīrtha with simplicity and renunciation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Māṇikarṇikā in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance of vratas according to prescribed procedure (yathokta-vidhi).