Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

काश्यां तीर्थान्यनेकानि काश्यां लिगान्यनेकशः । तथापि सेव्यो विश्वेशः स्नातव्या मणिकर्णिका

Transliteration

kāśyāṃ tīrthānyanekāni kāśyāṃ ligānyanekaśaḥ | tathāpi sevyo viśveśaḥ snātavyā maṇikarṇikā

Translation

ਕਾਸ਼ੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਨੇਕ ਤੀਰਥ ਹਨ, ਕਾਸ਼ੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਣਗਿਣਤ ਲਿੰਗ ਹਨ; ਤਾਂ ਵੀ ਸਭ ਤੋਂ ਉਪਰ ਵਿਸ਼ਵੇਸ਼ ਦਾ ਸੇਵਨ ਕਰਨਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਮਣਿਕਰਨਿਕਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਨਾਨ ਕਰਨਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• kāśyām: in Kāśī
• kāśyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन

• tīrthāni: pilgrimage places
• tīrthāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), बहुवचन

• anekāni: many
• anekāni: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aneka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (to tīrthāni)

• kāśyām: in Kāśī
• kāśyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• liṅgāni: liṅgas
• liṅgāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• anekaśaḥ: in many (instances)
• anekaśaḥ: Visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anekaśas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: 'in many ways/many times')

• tathāpi: nevertheless
• tathāpi: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय) + api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-समुच्चय (concessive particle: 'even so/however')

• sevyaḥ: to be served/worshipped
• sevyaḥ: Kriya (Predicative necessity/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sevya (प्रातिपदिक; √sev + यत्)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• viśveśaḥ: Viśveśa (Lord of the universe)
• viśveśaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśveśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• snātavyā: to be bathed in
• snātavyā: Kriya (Predicative necessity/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: snātavya (प्रातिपदिक; √snā + तव्य)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (to maṇikarṇikā)

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

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic Kāśī: countless liṅgas and ghāṭas suggested, yet the composition draws the eye to Viśveśa’s shrine and Maṇikarṇikā’s steps where pilgrims bathe.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Viśveśa
• Maṇikarṇikā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Among Kāśī’s many holy options, the tradition highlights a focused devotional center: Viśveśa and Maṇikarṇikā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā tīrtha (for snāna) and Viśveśa/Viśveśvara (for worship) are explicitly exalted.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā/arcana of Viśveśa and snāna at Maṇikarṇikā.