Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

मुक्तिलक्ष्मी महापीठ मणिस्तच्चरणाब्जयोः । कर्णिकेयं ततः प्राहुर्यां जना मणिकर्णिकाम्

Transliteration

muktilakṣmī mahāpīṭha maṇistaccaraṇābjayoḥ | karṇikeyaṃ tataḥ prāhuryāṃ janā maṇikarṇikām

Translation

അവന്റെ പദ്മപാദങ്ങളോടു ചേർന്ന് മുക്തിലക്ഷ്മി എന്ന മഹാപീഠം നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു; അവിടെ മാണിയും ഉണ്ട്. അതുകൊണ്ട് ജനങ്ങൾ ആ സ്ഥാനത്തെ ‘കർണിക’ (കർണാഭരണം) എന്നു വിളിക്കുന്നു; അതിനാലാണ് അത് ‘മാണികർണികാ’ എന്ന പേരിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധം।

Word by Word

• मुक्तिलक्ष्मीः: the goddess/fortune of liberation
• मुक्तिलक्ष्मीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति-लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक; मुक्ति + लक्ष्मी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मुक्तेः लक्ष्मीः = ‘लक्ष्मी of liberation’)

• महापीठम्: the great seat (sacred pedestal)
• महापीठम्: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महापीठ (प्रातिपदिक; महा + पीठ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् पीठम्)

• मणिः: the jewel (Maṇi)
• मणिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘of that’ (सम्बन्ध)

• चरणाब्जयोः: in/of the two lotus-feet
• चरणाब्जयोः: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरण-अब्ज (प्रातिपदिक; चरण + अब्ज)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी (6th/7th Gen/Loc), द्विवचन; तत्पुरुषः (चरणस्य अब्जम् = ‘lotus of the foot’); ‘of/in the two lotus-feet’

• कर्णिकेयम्: this (place) is the ‘karṇikā’
• कर्णिकेयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्णिका-इदम् (प्रातिपदिक; कर्णिका + इदम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; ‘this is the karṇikā (central pericarp)’

• ततः: therefore; from that
• ततः: Hetu/Source (Ablatival sense/अपादानार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय, तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त; अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (ablatival adverb)

• प्राहुः: they said; they declare
• प्राहुः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आह् (धातु; आह्/अह्)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• याम्: which (place)
• याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-निर्देश (relative pronoun)

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• मणिकर्णिकाम्: Maṇikarṇikā (name of the sacred place)
• मणिकर्णिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणि-कर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक; मणि + कर्णिका)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मणेः कर्णिका)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue frame, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous ghat on the Gaṅgā where Śiva’s lotus-feet are envisioned as the cosmic ground; a radiant ‘Muktilakṣmī’ seat and a jewel motif suggest the name Maṇikarṇikā; pilgrims gaze in devotion as the river glows at dawn.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇikarṇikā
• Muktilakṣmī
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation (mukti) is portrayed as a living presence in Kāśī—Maṇikarṇikā is praised as a supreme seat where mokṣa is especially accessible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā Tīrtha of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), celebrated as a foremost mokṣa-kṣetra spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed in this verse; it primarily establishes the sanctity and name-meaning of Maṇikarṇikā.