Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

विश्राणितमहादानास्त एव नरपुंगवाः । चरमे वयसि प्राप्ता यैरेषा मणिकर्णिका

Transliteration

viśrāṇitamahādānāsta eva narapuṃgavāḥ | carame vayasi prāptā yaireṣā maṇikarṇikā

Translation

ଯେମାନେ ମହାଦାନ ଦାନ କରିଛନ୍ତି, ସେହି ନରଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠମାନେ ଜୀବନର ଶେଷ ଅବସ୍ଥାରେ ଏହି ମଣିକର୍ଣିକାକୁ ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ କରନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• विश्राणितमहादानाः: those who bestowed great gifts
• विश्राणितमहादानाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्राणित (√श्राण्/√श्रि?; here causative sense ‘to bestow’ → विश्राणित, क्त) + महादान (महा + दान)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘bestowed’ qualifying compound; कर्मधारय: महत् दानम् = महादानम्; whole used as bahuvrīhi-like adjective ‘those who have bestowed great gifts’ (usage)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), restriction/emphasis

• नरपुंगवाः: bulls among men, eminent men
• नरपुंगवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + पुंगव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नराणां पुंगवाः = best among men)

• चरमे: in the last
• चरमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चरम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषण (locative)

• वयसि: in age
• वयसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative singular)

• प्राप्ताः: having reached
• प्राप्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + √आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त used adjectivally

• यैः: by whom
• यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• एषा: this (she/this place)
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मणिकर्णिका: Maṇikarṇikā
• मणिकर्णिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणिकर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-seeking audience (sages/devotees)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Noble donors—kings/householders—distributing gifts (cows, gold, food) to brāhmaṇas and the poor; then, in old age, arriving at Maṇikarṇikā with staff and prayer beads, gazing upon the sacred ghat.

Characters & Entities

• Māṇikarṇikā
• Mahā-dāna (great charity)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A life of generosity ripens into the grace of reaching Kāśī’s liberating tīrtha, especially at life’s end.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Māṇikarṇikā in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mahā-dāna (great charitable giving) is highlighted as a key dharmic practice.