Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

मानसान्यपि भौमानि धारातीर्थादिकानि च । ऊषराश्चापि पीठानि ह्यच्छिन्नाम्नायपाठनम्

Transliteration

mānasānyapi bhaumāni dhārātīrthādikāni ca | ūṣarāścāpi pīṭhāni hyacchinnāmnāyapāṭhanam

Translation

മാനസ (അന്തരംഗ) തീർത്ഥങ്ങളും ഭൗമ (ഭൂമിയിലെ) തീർത്ഥങ്ങളും—ധാരാതീർത്ഥം മുതലായവ; കഠിനസാധനാപീഠങ്ങളും; അച്ഛിന്ന ആമ്നായപരമ്പരയുടെ പാരായണവും—ഇവയും (സാധനങ്ങൾ).

Word by Word

• मानसानि: mental; of the mind
• मानसानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; 'तीर्थादिकानि' इत्यादि-समूहस्य विशेषणम् (मानस = मनसि/मानस-सम्बन्धि)

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

• भौमानि: earthly; terrestrial
• भौमानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भौम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; 'तीर्थादिकानि' इत्यादि-समूहस्य विशेषणम् (earthly)

• धारातीर्थादिकानि: Dhārā-tīrthas and the like
• धारातीर्थादिकानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारा + तीर्थ + आदि (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः: (धारातीर्थ) + आदिकानि; 'आदि' प्रत्ययार्थे 'and the like'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• ऊषराः: barren lands; saline tracts
• ऊषराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊषर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

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

• पीठानि: seats; sacred seats
• पीठानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle): अवधान/हेतु-भाव (indeed/for)

• अच्छिन्नाम्नायपाठनम्: recitation of the unbroken tradition
• अच्छिन्नाम्नायपाठनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अच्छिन्न + आम्नाय + पाठन (पठ् धातु, ल्युट्/अन-प्रत्यय; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः: अच्छिन्नः आम्नायः यस्य तत्/अच्छिन्न-आम्नायः (कर्मधारय) + पाठनम्; समस्तपदं तत्पुरुष-प्रधानम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśī-khaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhārā-tīrtha (example) and mānasa-tīrtha (inner)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A scholar-ascetic seated on a simple pīṭha, reciting from palm-leaf manuscripts in an unbroken chain of teachers behind him; above, a luminous ‘inner lake’ symbolizing mānasa-tīrtha; to the side, a small physical tīrtha labeled Dhārā.

Characters & Entities

• Dhārā-tīrtha
• Āmnāya
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Both inner sanctity (mānasa tīrtha) and outer holy practices are esteemed, yet the passage prepares to exalt Avimukta as supreme.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhārā-tīrtha is explicitly mentioned; the larger frame remains the Kāśī sacred discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Acchinnāmnāya-pāṭhana—continuous recitation/study within an unbroken tradition—is noted, alongside tīrtha-related practices.