Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

महामहोपचारैश्च न विघ्नैरभिभूयते । मणिप्रदीपो नागोऽस्ति तस्माद्रुद्रादुदग्दिशि

Transliteration

mahāmahopacāraiśca na vighnairabhibhūyate | maṇipradīpo nāgo'sti tasmādrudrādudagdiśi

Translation

—par de grands hommages et des offrandes solennelles, on n’est pas accablé par les obstacles. Au nord de ce Rudra se trouve un Nāga nommé Maṇipradīpa.

Word by Word

• mahāmahopacāraiḥ: with great ceremonial offerings
• mahāmahopacāraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + mahā-upacāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचनम्; ‘महान्तः महोपचाराः’ इति कर्मधारयः; करणम् (instrumental)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपातः (negation)

• vighnaiḥ: by obstacles
• vighnaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vighna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्; करणम्

• abhibhūyate: is overcome / is overpowered
• abhibhūyate: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-bhū (धातु)
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is overpowered)

• maṇipradīpaḥ: the jewel-lamp
• maṇipradīpaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṇi (प्रातिपदिक) + pradīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; ‘मणेः प्रदीपः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• nāgaḥ: a serpent (Nāga)
• nāgaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• asti: is / exists
• asti: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• tasmāt: from there / therefore
• tasmāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः/नपुंसकलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी, एकवचनम्; अपादानम् (ablative)

• rudrāt: from Rudra
• rudrāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी, एकवचनम्; अपादानम्

• udakdiśi: in the northern direction
• udakdiśi: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: udak-diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; ‘उदक् (उत्तर) दिशा’ इति कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः; अधिकरणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇipradīpa Nāga-sthāna (north of Vṛṣa-Rudra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kumbhaja (Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers grand upacāras at a Rudra shrine; beyond, to the north, a radiant serpent-being Maṇipradīpa glows like a jeweled lamp amid a small sacred grove.

Characters & Entities

• Vighna
• Rudra
• Maṇipradīpa Nāga
• Udagdiś (north)
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Generous, reverent worship (mahā-upacāra) is portrayed as a dharmic force that prevents vighnas from prevailing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A northern point in the Kāśī sacred geography where the Nāga Maṇipradīpa is located, near the Rudra previously described.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform worship with great offerings (mahāmahopacāra); the result is freedom from being overcome by obstacles.