Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

पुण्येनोपार्जितं द्रव्यमत्यल्पमपि यैर्नरैः । दत्तं तदक्षयं नित्यं मुनेधिमणिकणिंकम्

Transliteration

puṇyenopārjitaṃ dravyamatyalpamapi yairnaraiḥ | dattaṃ tadakṣayaṃ nityaṃ munedhimaṇikaṇiṃkam

Translation

Fût-elle infime, la richesse acquise par les hommes grâce au mérite—lorsqu’elle y est donnée—devient inépuisable et éternelle, ô muni, à Maṇikarṇikā.

Word by Word

• पुण्येन: by merit
• पुण्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• उपार्जितम्: acquired
• उपार्जितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप + अर्ज् (धातु) + क्त (कृत् प्रत्यय) → उपार्जित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘earned/acquired’

• द्रव्यम्: wealth, property
• द्रव्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• अति: very, excessively
• अति: Upapada (Modifier/उपपद)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अति (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (intensifier)

• अल्पम्: small, little
• अल्पम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• यैः: by whom
• यैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धे ‘by whom’

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• दत्तम्: given (as a gift)
• दत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (कृत् प्रत्यय) → दत्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘given’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Anaphora (Referent/अनुवाद)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अक्षयम्: imperishable
• अक्षयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभाव (adverbial use of neuter acc.); ‘always’

• मुनेः: of the sage
• मुनेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• धि: in/at (textual element)
• धि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: धि (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश)
• Form: अव्यय (पाठभेद/संहितापाठे संयोग); अर्थः ‘in/at’ इत्यर्थे उपपदवत् (uncertain reading)

• मणिकणिंकम्: Maṇikaṇiṃka (place-name; variant)
• मणिकणिंकम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणि (प्रातिपदिक) + कणिक/कणिंक (प्रातिपदिक; पाठभेद)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/संज्ञा; पाठे ‘मणिकणिंकम्’ (स्थाननाम/तीर्थविशेष)

Speaker

Śrī Viṣṇu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni addressed as ‘muni’ in verse (listener within frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humble pilgrim offers a small but pure gift at Maṇikarṇikā; a radiant aura suggests ‘akṣaya’ transformation; sages witness and bless; Gaṅgā glimmers behind.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇikarṇikā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere charity from dharmically earned means—however small—becomes imperishable when offered at a great tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā Tīrtha in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna of one’s puṇya-earned resources; emphasis is on purity of earning and sincerity rather than size.