Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

इत्येतदुत्तमं क्षेत्रमविमुक्ते महाफलम् । मणिकर्णी ह्रदे स्नात्वा दृष्ट्वा विश्वेश्वरंविभुम्

Transliteration

ityetaduttamaṃ kṣetramavimukte mahāphalam | maṇikarṇī hrade snātvā dṛṣṭvā viśveśvaraṃvibhum

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ അവിമുക്തം എന്ന ഈ ഉത്തമക്ഷേത്രം മഹാഫലദായകം. മണികർണീ ഹ്രദത്തിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് സർവ്വവ്യാപിയായ വിശ്വേശ്വരപ്രഭുവിനെ ദർശിച്ചാൽ (മഹാപുണ്യം ലഭിക്കും)।

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Discourse marker/इति-समाप्ति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः (quotative particle)

• etat: this
• etat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः

• uttamam: excellent, supreme
• uttamam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• kṣetram: sacred field/place
• kṣetram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• avimukte: in Avimukta (Kāśī)
• avimukte: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avimukta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे (स्थाननाम), सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• mahāphalam: greatly fruitful
• mahāphalam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (महच्च तत् फलम्)

• maṇikarṇī: in Maṇikarṇī (the sacred pond)
• maṇikarṇī: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṇikarṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; (नदी/ह्रद-नाम) अधिकरण

• hrade: in the pond
• hrade: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hrada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Kriya (पूर्वकर्म/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; धातुः स्ना (स्नान)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriya (पूर्वकर्म/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; धातुः दृश् (दर्शन)

• viśveśvaram: Viśveśvara (Lord of the universe)
• viśveśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विश्वस्य ईश्वरः)

• vibhum: the all-pervading one
• vibhum: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta Kṣetra; Maṇikarṇī Hrada; Viśveśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim approaches the Maṇikarṇī pool at dawn, performs ablutions, then proceeds through narrow lanes to behold Viśveśvara, the all-pervading Lord, amid lamps, bells, and flowing Gaṅgā presence.

Characters & Entities

• Avimukta
• Maṇikarṇī
• Viśveśvara
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Avimukta’s greatness is accessed through tīrtha-bathing and Śiva-darśana, yielding profound spiritual fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇī (tīrtha/pool) and Viśveśvara in Avimukta (Kāśī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) in Maṇikarṇī-hrada and darśana (seeing/worshipful audience) of Viśveśvara.