Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

स्वर्गौकसस्त्रिसंध्यं वै जपंति मणिकर्णिकाम् । यन्नामग्रहणं पुंसां श्रेयसं परमाय हि

Transliteration

svargaukasastrisaṃdhyaṃ vai japaṃti maṇikarṇikām | yannāmagrahaṇaṃ puṃsāṃ śreyasaṃ paramāya hi

Translation

The dwellers of heaven indeed repeat “Maṇikarṇikā” at the three junctions of the day. For the very utterance of her name leads people to the highest good.

Word by Word

• स्वर्गौकसः: the dwellers of heaven
• स्वर्गौकसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग + ओकस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (स्वर्गे ओकः/निवासः येषाम्)

• त्रिसंध्यम्: at the three junctions (thrice daily)
• त्रिसंध्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रि + संध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; क्रियाविशेषणम् (कालवाचक): ‘त्रिषु संध्यासु/त्रिवारम्’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/assurance particle)

• जपन्ति: recite
• जपन्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• मणिकर्णिकाम्: Maṇikarṇikā
• मणिकर्णिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणि + कर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; नाम

• यत्: whose/which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• नामग्रहणम्: the taking/uttering of the name
• नामग्रहणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् + ग्रहण (प्रातिपदिक; ग्रह् (धातु) + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नाम्नः ग्रहणम्); ल्युट्-प्रत्ययान्त भाववाचक/क्रियावाचक

• पुंसाम्: of men
• पुंसाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुम्स्/पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• श्रेयसम्: welfare, the highest good
• श्रेयसम्: Karma/Phala (Result/फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘highest good’

• परमाय: for the supreme (good)
• परमाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (श्रेयसे/श्रेयसम्—अर्थतः)

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Reason marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (reason/emphasis)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed as ‘vīra’

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Three time-panels (dawn, noon, dusk): celestial beings (svargaukas) in the sky reciting ‘Maṇikarṇikā’ while below, pilgrims mirror the chant on the ghāṭa; the name appears as luminous syllables over the river.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇikarṇikā
• Svargavāsins (dwellers of heaven)
• Sandhyā (three daily junctions)
• Kāśī/Varanasi (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Nāma-japa is elevated as a direct spiritual path; the holy name itself is portrayed as a carrier of supreme welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa of the name ‘Maṇikarṇikā’ at the three daily sandhyā times (dawn, noon, dusk).