Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 110

Devanagari script

एतेषामपि तीर्थानां चतुर्णामपि सत्तम । पंचमं मणिकर्ण्याख्यं मनावेयवशुद्धिदम्

Transliteration

eteṣāmapi tīrthānāṃ caturṇāmapi sattama | paṃcamaṃ maṇikarṇyākhyaṃ manāveyavaśuddhidam

Translation

ഹേ സത്തമാ! ഈ നാലു തീർത്ഥങ്ങളിലുമുള്ള അഞ്ചാമത്തെ തീർത്ഥം ‘മണികർണീ’ (മണികർണികാ) എന്നറിയപ്പെടുന്നു; അത് മനസ്സിന്റെയും ദേഹത്തിന്റെയും അതിസൂക്ഷ്മ അംശം വരെയും ശുദ്ധി നൽകി പൂർണ്ണ നിർമലത നൽകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• एतेषाम्: of these
• एतेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (gen. pl.)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle)

• तीर्थानाम्: of sacred fords/holy places
• तीर्थानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (neut. gen. pl.)

• चतुर्णाम्: of four
• चतुर्णाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्याशब्द/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण (gen. pl.; ‘of four’)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle)

• सत्तम: O best of the good
• सत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; संबोधन (voc. sg.)

• पञ्चमम्: the fifth
• पञ्चमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (neut. acc. sg.)

• मणिकर्ण्याख्यम्: named Maṇikarṇī
• मणिकर्ण्याख्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मणिकर्णी + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘मणिकर्ण्या आख्यं’ = named Maṇikarṇī) (neut. acc. sg.)

• मनावेयवशुद्धिदम्: giving purification of the mind’s faculties
• मनावेयवशुद्धिदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनस् + अवयव + शुद्धि + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (मनसः अवयवानां शुद्धिं ददाति) (neut. acc. sg.)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇī / Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Five tīrtha emblems arranged like petals; the fifth (Maṇikarṇikā) shines brightest; a pilgrim’s mind depicted as a dark cloud clearing into a clear sky as he steps into the water; subtle aura around the head and heart indicating manas-śuddhi.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇikarṇikā
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is graded: Maṇikarṇikā is proclaimed a culminating tīrtha whose contact purifies the whole person—inner mind and outer conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā (also styled Maṇikarṇī), elevated as a ‘fifth’ preeminent tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the implied practice is tīrtha-sevā—approach, bathing, and reverent engagement that yields śuddhi (purification).