Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अनन्यसाधनां मुक्तिं ज्ञात्वा शास्त्रैरनेकधा । मुमुक्षुभिस्त्वेकदंडैः सेव्यते मणिकर्णिका

Transliteration

ananyasādhanāṃ muktiṃ jñātvā śāstrairanekadhā | mumukṣubhistvekadaṃḍaiḥ sevyate maṇikarṇikā

Translation

ശാസ്ത്രങ്ങൾ പലവിധമായി അവളെ തന്നെയാണ് മോക്ഷത്തിന്റെ അനന്യസാധനമെന്ന് അറിയിച്ചതായി ഗ്രഹിച്ചു, ഏകദണ്ഡധാരികളായ മുമുക്ഷുക്കൾ മണികർണികയെ സേവിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• अनन्य-साधनाम्: having no other means (exclusive)
• अनन्य-साधनाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्य (प्रातिपदिक) + साधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: अनन्यं साधनं यस्याः सा; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; adjective of 'मुक्तिम्'

• मुक्तिम्: liberation
• मुक्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive); 'having known'

• शास्त्रैः: by the scriptures
• शास्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; instrumental: 'by/through scriptures'

• अनेकधा: in many ways
• अनेकधा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनेकधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); 'in many ways'

• मुमुक्षुभिः: by seekers of liberation
• मुमुक्षुभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: इच्छार्थक कृदन्त (सन्/उणादि-आधारित) 'मुमुक्षु' = मोक्तुमिच्छु; पुल्लिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; agent-instrumental with passive

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; contrast/emphasis

• एक-दण्डैः: by the single-staff ascetics
• एक-दण्डैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (संख्या) + दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास: एकः दण्डः (एकदण्ड) ; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; 'by the ekadaṇḍins'

• सेव्यते: is served/worshipped
• सेव्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense): 'is served/worshipped'

• मणिकर्णिका: Maṇikarṇikā
• मणिकर्णिका: Karman (Patient as subject/कर्म-प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणिकर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; subject of passive

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An eka-daṇḍī sannyāsin with a single staff stands at Maṇikarṇikā, offering silent reverence; behind him, palm-leaf manuscripts symbolize śāstra testimony; the ghāṭa and river glow with a metaphysical aura.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇikarṇikā
• Kāśī (Varanasi)
• Śāstra
• Mumukṣu
• Ekadaṇḍin

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

For the mumukṣu, Maṇikarṇikā is proclaimed as a uniquely potent support for liberation, validated by scripture.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā in Kāśī, especially revered by renunciant seekers.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā/upāsanā of Maṇikarṇikā by ekadaṇḍin renunciants (a marker of the sannyāsa path).