Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

वरं हि तत्काशिरजोति पावनं रजस्तमोध्वंसि शशिप्रभोज्ज्वलम् । कृतप्रणामैर्मणिकर्णिका भुवे ललाटगंयद्बहुमन्यते सुरैः

Transliteration

varaṃ hi tatkāśirajoti pāvanaṃ rajastamodhvaṃsi śaśiprabhojjvalam | kṛtapraṇāmairmaṇikarṇikā bhuve lalāṭagaṃyadbahumanyate suraiḥ

Translation

ധന്യമാണ് കാശിയുടെ ആ ധൂളി—അത്യന്തം പാവനമായത്, രജസ്-തമസ് നശിപ്പിക്കുന്നത്, ചന്ദ്രപ്രഭപോലെ ദീപ്തം. ഭൂമിയിലെ മണികർണികയിൽ പ്രണാമം ചെയ്താൽ ലലാടത്തിലേക്ക് ഉയരുന്ന ആ ധൂളിയെ ദേവന്മാരും മഹത്തായി മാനിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• वरम्: better
• वरम्: Sambandha (Predicate particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग-एकवचन-द्वितीया रूपेण निपातवत् (better)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (indeed)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (demonstrative)

• काशिरजः: the dust of Kāśī
• काशिरजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक) + रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः—काश्याः रजः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative marker)

• पावनम्: purifying
• पावनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with काशिरजः)

• रजस्तमोध्वंसि: destroying rajas and tamas
• रजस्तमोध्वंसि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रजस् (प्रातिपदिक) + तमस् (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वंसिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—रजस्तमसोः ध्वंसि (द्वन्द्व-षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/बहुपद)

• शशिप्रभोज्ज्वलम्: bright with moonlight
• शशिप्रभोज्ज्वलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शशि (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभा (प्रातिपदिक) + उज्ज्वल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—शशेः प्रभया उज्ज्वलम् (तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• कृतप्रणामैः: by those who have bowed
• कृतप्रणामैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (कृ-धातु, क्त) + प्रणाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः—प्रणामाः कृताः येन/यैः (बहुपद-तत्पुरुष)

• मणिकर्णिका: Maṇikarṇikā
• मणिकर्णिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणि (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः—मणिरिव कर्णिका/मणिमयी कर्णिका (कर्मधारय)

• भुवे: for the earth/world
• भुवे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुवि/भूः)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• ललाटगम्: gone to the forehead
• ललाटगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ललाट (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (गम्-धातु, क्त/प्रत्ययान्त: ‘gone/placed’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—ललाटं गतम् (द्वितीया-तत्पुरुष)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (relative pronoun: which)

• बहुमन्यते: is highly esteemed
• बहुमन्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बहु + मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• सुरैः: by the gods
• सुरैः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Maṇikarṇikā ghāṭa, a devotee performs full prostration; luminous dust rises and touches the forehead, depicted as moon-bright, while devas in the sky look on with reverence; the Ganga flows beside the steps.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Maṇikarṇikā
• Devas (Suras)
• Rajas
• Tamas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even seemingly small contact—Kāśī’s dust—becomes a powerful purifier, symbolizing humility and grace in a sacred kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā in Kāśī, famed as an exceptionally sanctifying spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praṇāma (prostration) at Maṇikarṇikā is implied, where the Kāśī-dust touches one’s forehead.