Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

तपांसि तेन तप्तानि शीर्णपर्णादिना चिरम् । सेविता श्रद्धया येन श्रीमती मणिकर्णिका

Transliteration

tapāṃsi tena taptāni śīrṇaparṇādinā ciram | sevitā śraddhayā yena śrīmatī maṇikarṇikā

Translation

ഉണങ്ങിയ ഇലകൾ മുതലായവയിൽ ആശ്രയിച്ച് ദീർഘകാലം തപസ്സു ചെയ്തവൻ, ശ്രദ്ധയോടെ ശ്രീമതിയായ മണികർണികയെ സേവിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• तपांसि: austerities
• तपांसि: Karma/Patient (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st) बहुवचनम्; कर्म/विषय (things practiced)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd) एकवचनम्; कर्तृकरणे (agent in passive)

• तप्तानि: performed (austerities done)
• तप्तानि: Karma/Patient (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तप् (धातु) → तप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त); नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st) बहुवचनम्; तपांसि इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• शीर्णपर्णादिना: with withered leaves and the like
• शीर्णपर्णादिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीर्णपर्ण + आदि (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd) एकवचनम्; करणम् (instrumental of means: ‘with/through’)

• चिरम्: for a long time
• चिरम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb of time)

• सेविता: served; attended
• सेविता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सेव् (धातु) → सेवित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त); स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st) एकवचनम्

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd) एकवचनम्; करणम् (instrumental: with faith)

• येन: by whom
• येन: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd) एकवचनम्; कर्तृकरणे (agent in passive)

• श्रीमती: glorious; auspicious
• श्रीमती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रीमन्त् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st) एकवचनम्; मणिकर्णिका इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• मणिकर्णिका: Maṇikarṇikā
• मणिकर्णिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणिकर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st) एकवचनम्; विशेष्य

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied audience within Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic devotee, thin from leaf-diet, seated near the ghāṭa under a tree, performing japa; nearby, Maṇikarṇikā steps and pilgrims; the scene conveys long endurance and faithful service.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇikarṇikā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faithful service to a sacred place, supported by self-discipline and austerity, is praised as a high form of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) including simple subsistence (e.g., leaf-diet) and devoted service (sevā) to the tīrtha.