Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

यथोक्तमाचरेदेको निष्ठा पाशुपतंव्रतम् । निरंतरं स्मरेदेको हृद्येनां मणिकर्णिकाम्

Transliteration

yathoktamācaredeko niṣṭhā pāśupataṃvratam | niraṃtaraṃ smaredeko hṛdyenāṃ maṇikarṇikām

Translation

L’un peut accomplir comme il est dit, avec ferme constance, le vœu pāśupata; l’autre peut, sans interruption, se souvenir en son cœur de Maṇikarṇikā.

Word by Word

• यथोक्तम्: as stated
• यथोक्तम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + उक्त (कृदन्त; √वच् धातु)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय (adverbial) — ‘यथा’ + ‘उक्तम्’ = ‘as stated’

• आचरेत्: should practice
• आचरेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative/imperative sense), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद

• एकः: one (person)
• एकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक (one person)

• निष्ठाम्: steadfastness; firm observance
• निष्ठाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• पाशुपतम्: Pāśupata (of Paśupati/Śiva)
• पाशुपतम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाशुपत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘व्रतम्’)

• व्रतम्: vow; observance
• व्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• निरन्तरम्: continuously
• निरन्तरम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निरन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• स्मरेत्: should remember
• स्मरेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• एकः: one (person)
• एकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक

• हृदि: in the heart
• हृदि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन

• एनाम्: this (her/this one)
• एनाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• मणिकर्णिकाम्: Maṇikarṇikā (sacred place)
• मणिकर्णिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणिकर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेष्य (appositional to ‘एनाम्’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contrast tableau: on one side an ascetic observing Pāśupata-vrata with ash, matted hair, and austerity; on the other a devotee with closed eyes holding Maṇikarṇikā in the heart, while the ghāṭ and Gaṅgā shimmer behind as a sacred presence.

Characters & Entities

• Pāśupata-vrata
• Maṇikarṇikā
• Smaraṇa (remembrance)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Both disciplined Śaiva observance and heartfelt remembrance are honored; inner devotion to the liberating tīrtha is emphasized.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The Pāśupata-vrata (a Śaiva vow) is referenced; additionally, continuous remembrance (smaraṇa) of Maṇikarṇikā is presented as a spiritual practice.