Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

सत्यलोकात्प्रतिदिनं हं सयानः पितामहः । माध्याह्निक विधानाय समायान्मणिकर्णिकाम्

Transliteration

satyalokātpratidinaṃ haṃ sayānaḥ pitāmahaḥ | mādhyāhnika vidhānāya samāyānmaṇikarṇikām

Translation

Chaque jour, Pitāmaha (Brahmā), monté sur le cygne, vient de Satyaloka à Maṇikarṇikā afin d’accomplir les rites prescrits de midi.

Word by Word

• सत्यलोकात्: from Satyaloka
• सत्यलोकात्: अपादान (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्यलोक (प्रातिपदिक) = सत्य + लोक (समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सत्यस्य लोकः)

• प्रतिदिनम्: every day
• प्रतिदिनम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रतिदिन (प्रातिपदिक) = प्रति (अव्यय) + दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• हंसयानः: going (riding) on a swan
• हंसयानः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हंस (प्रातिपदिक) + √या (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्तः (शानच्), कर्तरि; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पितामहस्य)

• पितामहः: Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• पितामहः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• माध्याह्निकविधानाय: for the performance/arrangement of the midday rite
• माध्याह्निकविधानाय: सम्प्रदान (Purpose/Recipient; हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माध्याह्निक (प्रातिपदिक) + विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (माध्याह्निकस्य विधानम्)

• समायात्: came/arrived
• समायात्: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + √या (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मणिकर्णिकाम्: to Maṇikarṇikā (ghāṭ/pond)
• मणिकर्णिकाम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणिकर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/ṛṣis (addressed as ‘viprāḥ’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, four-faced, seated upon Haṃsa, descends from Satyaloka into the luminous Kāśī sky and approaches Maṇikarṇikā at midday; ghāṭa steps, Gaṅgā’s shimmer, and ascetics performing sandhyā line the bank.

Characters & Entities

• Satyaloka
• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Haṃsa (swan vehicle)
• Māṇikarṇikā
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the highest cosmic authorities honor Kāśī’s Māṇikarṇikā; its sanctity is affirmed by daily divine observance of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Māṇikarṇikā tīrtha/ghāṭa in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of the mādhyāhnika (midday) rite according to prescribed ordinance (vidhāna).