Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

महासुखं यदुद्दिष्टं समाधौ विस्मृतात्मनाम् । श्रीमत्यां मणिकर्ण्यां तत्सहजेनैव जायते

Transliteration

mahāsukhaṃ yaduddiṣṭaṃ samādhau vismṛtātmanām | śrīmatyāṃ maṇikarṇyāṃ tatsahajenaiva jāyate

Translation

സമാധിയിൽ ആത്മവിസ്മൃതരായവർക്ക് പറയുന്ന ‘മഹാസുഖം’—ശ്രീമതിയായ മണികർണികയിൽ അത് സഹജമായി സ്വയം ഉദിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• महासुखम्: great bliss
• महासुखम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यत् (relative)

• उद्दिष्टम्: is declared
• उद्दिष्टम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-√दिश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि (‘is declared’)

• समाधौ: in samādhi
• समाधौ: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समाधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• विस्मृतात्मनाम्: of those who have forgotten themselves
• विस्मृतात्मनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘of those whose self is forgotten’)

• श्रीमत्याम्: in the auspicious/illustrious (place)
• श्रीमत्याम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रीमती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying Maṇikarṇī)

• मणिकर्ण्याम्: in Maṇikarṇī
• मणिकर्ण्याम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणिकर्णी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देशक (demonstrative)

• सहजेन: by the innate (means), naturally
• सहजेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; साधन/हेतु-भावे (‘by/through what is innate’)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• जायते: arises
• जायते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A meditative pilgrim at Maṇikarṇikā enters effortless absorption; the ghat, river light, and subtle Śiva presence create a field where samādhi arises naturally.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇikarṇikā
• Samādhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s Maṇikarṇikā is portrayed as so spiritually potent that the highest contemplative bliss manifests effortlessly there.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śrī Maṇikarṇikā (Maṇikarṇikā tīrtha/ghāṭa in Kāśī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the emphasis is on the innate spiritual efficacy (sahaja-phala) of the place.