Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । पुनर्ददर्श तन्वंगी चित्रपट्यां घटोद्भव । स्वर्गद्वारात्पुरोभागे श्रीमतीं मणिकर्णिकाम्

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | punardadarśa tanvaṃgī citrapaṭyāṃ ghaṭodbhava | svargadvārātpurobhāge śrīmatīṃ maṇikarṇikām

Translation

സ്കന്ദൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—അനന്തരം ആ തന്വംഗി ചിത്രപടിയിൽ ഘടോദ്ഭവനായ അഗസ്ത്യനെ വീണ്ടും ദർശിച്ചു; സ്വർഗ്ഗദ്വാരത്തിന്റെ മുൻഭാഗത്ത് ശ്രീമതി മണികർണികയെയും ദർശിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• स्कन्दः: Skanda
• स्कन्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• तन्वङ्गी: slender-limbed (lady)
• तन्वङ्गी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘तन्वङ्गानि यस्याः सा’ (she who has slender limbs)

• चित्रपट्याम्: on the painted cloth/canvas
• चित्रपट्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्रपटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• घटोद्भव: O Pot-born (Agastya)
• घटोद्भव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घट (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘घटात् उद्भवः’ (born from a pot)

• स्वर्गद्वारात्: from the gate of heaven
• स्वर्गद्वारात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘स्वर्गस्य द्वारम्’ (gate of heaven)

• पुरोभागे: in the front part/ahead
• पुरोभागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरोभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• श्रीमतीम्: auspicious, glorious
• श्रीमतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रीमती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मणिकर्णिकाम्: Maṇikarṇikā (sacred place/ghāṭ)
• मणिकर्णिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणिकर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (explicit)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrī Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrimage tableau in Kāśī: Svargadvāra in the foreground, the luminous Maṇikarṇikā tīrtha beside the Gaṅgā, and the sage Agastya (ghaṭodbhava) encountered at Citrāpaṭī; the city appears as a slender-limbed divine presence moving through sacred lanes.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya (Ghaṭodbhava)
• Citrāpaṭī
• Svargadvāra
• Maṇikarṇikā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The narrative turns toward Maṇikarṇikā, signaling a supreme mokṣa-centered tīrtha within Kāśī’s sacred map.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā, situated near Svargadvāra in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it introduces the setting and the tīrtha for subsequent glorification.