Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

मणिकर्ण्यां ततः स्नात्वा पश्येदीशानमीश्वरम् । ततः कूपमुपस्पृश्य गोप्रेक्षमवलोकयेत्

Transliteration

maṇikarṇyāṃ tataḥ snātvā paśyedīśānamīśvaram | tataḥ kūpamupaspṛśya goprekṣamavalokayet

Translation

പിന്നീട് മണികർണിയിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് ഈശാനേശ്വരനെ ദർശിക്കണം. തുടർന്ന് കിണറ്റിലെ ജലം സ്പർശിച്ച് ഗോപ്രേക്ഷത്തെ ദർശിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• मणिकर्ण्यां: at Maṇikarṇī (tīrtha)
• मणिकर्ण्यां: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṇikarṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (feminine, locative, singular)

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Sequential adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/अपादानार्थक अव्यय (adverb: then/from there)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Pūrvakāla (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: snā (धातु) + क्त्वा → snātvā (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund)

• पश्येत्: should see
• पश्येत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ्-अर्थे, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (should see)

• ईशानम्: Īśāna (the ruling one)
• ईशानम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: īśāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘ईश्वरम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण (masculine, accusative, singular)

• ईश्वरम्: the Lord
• ईश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (masculine, accusative, singular)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Sequential adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक अव्यय (adverb: then)

• कूपम्: the well
• कूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (masculine, accusative, singular)

• उपस्पृश्य: having touched
• उपस्पृश्य: Pūrvakāla (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: upa (उपसर्ग) + spṛś (धातु) + ल्यप् → upaspṛśya (क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund)

• गोप्रेक्षम्: Goprekṣa (name of a shrine/linga)
• गोप्रेक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक) + prekṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (goḥ prekṣaḥ) / नाम (proper name)

• अवलोकयेत्: should behold
• अवलोकयेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava (उपसर्ग) + lok (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (optative: should behold)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇī/Maṇikarṇikā; associated kūpa; Goprekṣa

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The bustling yet sacred Maṇikarṇikā ghāṭa at dawn: pilgrims bathe near the steps; a shrine of Īśāna stands nearby with a directional motif; then a devotee respectfully touches a small stone-lined well, lifting water in a brass pot, and proceeds to a vantage point to behold Goprekṣa.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇikarṇī (tīrtha)
• Īśāna
• Kūpa (well)
• Goprekṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage in Kāśī proceeds by sanctifying waters and successive darśanas, each step deepening reverence for Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇī tīrtha (associated with Kāśī’s sacred waters), along with Īśāna and the site called Goprekṣa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe at Maṇikarṇī, see Īśāna; then ritually touch/use the well’s water and behold Goprekṣa.