Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 45
महामहोभूर्मणिकर्णिकास्थली तमस्ततिर्यत्र समेति संक्षयम् । परः शतैर्जन्मभिरेधितापि या दिवाकराग्नींदुकरैरनिग्रहा
mahāmahobhūrmaṇikarṇikāsthalī tamastatiryatra sameti saṃkṣayam | paraḥ śatairjanmabhiredhitāpi yā divākarāgnīṃdukarairanigrahā
મહામહિમાવંત મણિકર્ણિકા-સ્થળી એ પવિત્ર ભૂમિ છે જ્યાં અંધકારનો સમૂહ સંપૂર્ણ ક્ષય પામે છે. સૈકડા જન્મોથી વધેલો તમ પણ ત્યાંના સૂર્ય-અગ્નિ-ચંદ્રસદૃશ તેજ સામે ટકી શકતો નથી.
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration, typically Skanda to Agastya)
Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā
Type: ghat
Listener: Muni (unnamed in the excerpt)
Scene: A radiant Maṇikarṇikā-sthalī where darkness dissolves; the ghāṭa glows with a tri-luminary aura (sun-fire-moon), with pilgrims and lamps reflecting on the river.
FAQs
Kāśī’s Maṇikarṇikā is portrayed as a place where deep karmic darkness accumulated over many births is dispelled by divine spiritual brilliance.
Maṇikarṇikā-sthalī (Maṇikarṇikā in Kāśī/Vārāṇasī), celebrated as supremely radiant and liberating.
No explicit ritual is prescribed in this verse; it focuses on the intrinsic purifying power (māhātmya) of the place.