Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

मोदकैः सोपचारैश्च प्राप्नुयान्मणिकर्णिकाम् । हरिश्चंद्रे महातीर्थे तर्पयेयुः पितामहान्

Transliteration

modakaiḥ sopacāraiśca prāpnuyānmaṇikarṇikām | hariścaṃdre mahātīrthe tarpayeyuḥ pitāmahān

Translation

മോദകങ്ങളും വിധിപൂർവമായ ഉപചാരങ്ങളും സഹിതം മണികർണികയിലേക്കു പോകണം. ഹരിശ്ചന്ദ്ര മഹാതീർത്ഥത്തിൽ പിതൃകൾക്ക് തർപ്പണം ചെയ്ത് തൃപ്തിപ്പെടുത്തണം.

Word by Word

• मोदकैः: with sweets (modakas)
• मोदकैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• सोपचारैः: with offerings/attentions
• सोपचारैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स-उपचार (प्रातिपदिक; उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद ‘स’ = ‘सहित’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; समासः: स + उपचार = ‘उपचारैः सहितैः’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्राप्नुयात्: should attain
• प्राप्नुयात्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मणिकर्णिकाम्: Maṇikarṇikā (ghāṭ/holy place)
• मणिकर्णिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणिकर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• हरिश्चंद्रे: at Hariścandra (tīrtha)
• हरिश्चंद्रे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरिश्चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• महातीर्थे: in the great sacred ford
• महातीर्थे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महातीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः: महत् + तीर्थ = ‘महत्तीरथे’

• तर्पयेयुः: should satisfy (offer libations to)
• तर्पयेयुः: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense ‘to satisfy’ (तर्पयति)

• पितामहान्: the grandfathers/ancestors
• पितामहान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hariścandra Mahātīrtha and Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim carrying modakas and pūjā-tray walks along the Gaṅgā steps toward Maṇikarṇikā; at Hariścandra-ghāṭa he offers tarpaṇa—water streams through fingers—while subtle ancestral forms receive it; lamps and smoke from cremation fires glow in the distance.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇikarṇikā
• Hariścandra Mahātīrtha
• Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage in Kāśī is completed through reverent worship and gratitude to one’s ancestors via tarpaṇa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hariścandra Mahātīrtha in Kāśī, with movement toward Maṇikarṇikā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering modakas with proper upacāras and performing pitṛ-tarpaṇa at Hariścandra Mahātīrtha.