Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

अनशनव्रतभृते त्रिकालाभ्यवहारिणे । प्रांते दद्यात्समां मुक्तिमुभाभ्यां मणिकर्णिका

Transliteration

anaśanavratabhṛte trikālābhyavahāriṇe | prāṃte dadyātsamāṃ muktimubhābhyāṃ maṇikarṇikā

Translation

അനശനവ്രതം പാലിക്കുന്നവനും ത്രികാലഭോജനം ചെയ്യുന്നവനും—ജീവിതാന്തത്തിൽ മണികർണിക ഇരുവർക്കും സമമായ മോക്ഷം നൽകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अनशन-व्रत-भृते: to one who observes the fasting vow
• अनशन-व्रत-भृते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनशन (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + भृत् (धातु) → भृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (अनशनस्य व्रतस्य भर्ता/धारकः) — Masculine, Dative, Singular

• त्रि-काल-अभ्यवहारिणे: to one who eats at the three times (a day)
• त्रि-काल-अभ्यवहारिणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक) + अभ्यवहारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी/तत्पुरुषः (त्रिषु कालेषु अभ्यवहरति) — Masculine, Dative, Singular

• प्रान्ते: at the end (of life)
• प्रान्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular

• दद्यात्: would give/grant
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Optative, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• समाम्: equal/same
• समाम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (मुक्तिम्) — Feminine, Accusative, Singular

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

• उभाभ्याम्: by/for both (types)
• उभाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उभ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (सर्वनाम), तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), द्विवचन — Instrumental, Dual (both)

• मणिकर्णिका: Maṇikarṇikā
• मणिकर्णिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणिकर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sage addressed as ‘mune’ (frame audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two pilgrims at the ghāṭ: one emaciated from fasting, another healthy from regular meals; both stand equally before the sacred steps and firelight, with a calm, impartial radiance descending—symbolizing equal mukti at life’s end.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇikarṇikā
• Anaśana-vrata (fasting vow)
• Trikāla-bhojana (eating thrice daily)
• Mukti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The liberating grace of Maṇikarṇikā is not limited to extreme asceticism; it is portrayed as equally accessible to different lifestyles.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā tīrtha in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Fasting (anaśana-vrata) is mentioned, along with ordinary regulated eating (trikāla-abhyavahāra), to show both can culminate in liberation through the tīrtha.