Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

अतिथीनपि संतर्प्य पंचयज्ञरता अपि । गृहस्थाश्रमिणो नेमां त्यजेयुर्मणिकर्णिकाम्

Transliteration

atithīnapi saṃtarpya paṃcayajñaratā api | gṛhasthāśramiṇo nemāṃ tyajeyurmaṇikarṇikām

Translation

അതിഥികളെ തൃപ്തിപ്പെടുത്തി പഞ്ചയജ്ഞങ്ങളിൽ നിരതരായ ഗൃഹസ്ഥാശ്രമികളും ഈ മണികർണികയെ ഒരിക്കലും ഉപേക്ഷിക്കരുത്।

Word by Word

• अतिथीन्: guests
• अतिथीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• सन्तर्प्य: having satisfied (fed)
• सन्तर्प्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तृप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययीभाव-भावे) absolutive; उपसर्ग: सम्; 'having satisfied/after feeding'

• पञ्च-यज्ञ-रताः: devoted to the five sacrifices
• पञ्च-यज्ञ-रताः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या) + यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + रत (प्रातिपदिक/क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सप्तमीभाव): पञ्चसु यज्ञेषु रताः; प्रथमा-बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; adjective of 'गृहस्थाश्रमिणः'

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; emphasis 'even'

• गृहस्थ-आश्रमिणः: householders
• गृहस्थ-आश्रमिणः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रमिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: गृहस्थ-आश्रमिणः (गृहस्थाश्रमिणः); प्रथमा-बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; 'householders (in the gṛhastha-āśrama)'

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• इमाम्: this
• इमाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'this (place)'

• त्यजेयुः: should abandon
• त्यजेयुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; 'should abandon'

• मणिकर्णिकाम्: Maṇikarṇikā
• मणिकर्णिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणिकर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; proper noun

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dignified householder couple welcomes guests with water and food, then proceeds to Maṇikarṇikā for Gaṅgā-darśana; lamps, offerings, and the bustle of Kāśī ghāṭas frame the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇikarṇikā
• Kāśī (Varanasi)
• Atithi
• Pañcamahāyajña
• Gṛhastha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Domestic dharma is honored, yet Maṇikarṇikā remains a central refuge and should not be neglected.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā in Kāśī, upheld as indispensable even for exemplary householders.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Atithi-sevā (serving guests) and pañcamahāyajña (the five daily sacrifices) for householders.