Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

सर्वतीर्थावगाहाच्च यावज्जन्म यदर्ज्यते । तदानंदवने प्राप्यं मणिकर्ण्येकमज्जनात्

Transliteration

sarvatīrthāvagāhācca yāvajjanma yadarjyate | tadānaṃdavane prāpyaṃ maṇikarṇyekamajjanāt

Translation

Le mérite acquis en une vie entière en se baignant dans tous les tīrtha, ce même mérite s’obtient à Ānandavana (Kāśī) par une seule immersion à Maṇikarṇikā.

Word by Word

• सर्वतीर्थावगाहात्: from bathing in all sacred fords
• सर्वतीर्थावगाहात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-तीर्थ-अवगाह (प्रातिपदिक; अवगाह < अव√गाह् (धातु))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां तीर्थानाम् अवगाहः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• यावत्-जन्म: for as long as one lives
• यावत्-जन्म: Adhikarana (Temporal locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत्-जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (adverbial: ‘as long as life’)

• यत्: whatever (that which)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• अर्ज्यते: is obtained/earned
• अर्ज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तद्-शब्दः (correlative)

• आनन्दवने: in Ānandavana
• आनन्दवने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्द-वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आनन्दस्य वनम्)

• प्राप्यम्: is attainable
• प्राप्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राप्य (कृदन्त; √आप् (धातु) + प्र)
• Form: भाव्य/योग्यतार्थक कृदन्त (gerundive/तव्यत्-प्रत्ययार्थ), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषणम्

• मणिकर्ण्येकमज्जनात्: from a single dip at Maṇikarṇī
• मणिकर्ण्येकमज्जनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणिकर्णी-एक-मज्जन (प्रातिपदिक; मज्जन < √मज्ज् (धातु))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मणिकर्ण्यां एकं मज्जनम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā (Ānandavana, Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/saints (typical Purāṇic audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dawn on the Gaṅgā at Maṇikarṇikā: pilgrims descend stone steps, a single devotee immerses while temple spires and cremation fires glow in the background, suggesting Kāśī’s union of tīrtha and mokṣa.

Characters & Entities

• Ānandavana
• Maṇikarṇikā
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s Maṇikarṇikā is praised as supremely efficacious—one sincere act there equals vast pilgrimage-merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā in Ānandavana (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (a single ritual immersion) in Maṇikarṇikā.