Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

चराचरेषु सर्वेषु यावंतश्च सचेतनाः । तावंतः स्नांति मध्याह्ने मणिकर्णी जलेमले

Transliteration

carācareṣu sarveṣu yāvaṃtaśca sacetanāḥ | tāvaṃtaḥ snāṃti madhyāhne maṇikarṇī jalemale

Translation

Parmi tous les êtres, mobiles et immobiles, autant qu’il en est doués de conscience, autant se baignent à midi dans les eaux sans tache de Maṇikarṇī (Maṇikarṇikā).

Word by Word

• चराचरेषु: among the moving and non-moving beings
• चराचरेषु: अधिकरण (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चराचर (प्रातिपदिक) = चर + अचर (समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (चराः च अचराः च)

• सर्वेषु: in all
• सर्वेषु: अधिकरण-विशेषण (Qualifier of locus)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (चराचरेषु)

• यावन्तः: as many as
• यावन्तः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; परिमाणवाचक/संबन्धसूचक (correlative)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय

• सचेतनाः: sentient
• सचेतनाः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सचेतन (प्रातिपदिक) = स + चेतन (समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (चेतनाः सन्ति ये)

• तावन्तः: so many (of them)
• तावन्तः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; यावत्-तावत् समुच्चय (correlative)

• स्नान्ति: bathe
• स्नान्ति: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• मध्याह्ने: at midday
• मध्याह्ने: अधिकरण (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्याह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• मणिकर्णी: in/at Maṇikarṇī (Maṇikarṇikā)
• मणिकर्णी: अधिकरण (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणिकर्णी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (वैकल्पिकरूपेण प्रथमा एकवचनापि); स्थानवाचक (मणिकर्णिकायाम् इत्यर्थे)

• जले: in water
• जले: अधिकरण (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मले: in impurity/filth
• मले: अधिकरण (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇī / Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/seekers

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic vision: innumerable beings—humans, devas, sages, animals, birds, subtle luminous forms—converge at midday to bathe in Maṇikarṇikā’s spotless waters; the river shines like liquid crystal under the zenith sun.

Characters & Entities

• Māṇikarṇī/Māṇikarṇikā
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• All beings (carācara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A supreme tīrtha is portrayed as cosmically inclusive—its purity draws all conscious life toward purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Māṇikarṇikā (also called Maṇikarṇī) in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Midday bathing (snāna) in the pure waters of Māṇikarṇikā.