Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

के माणिकर्णिकेयानां गुणानां सुगरीयसाम् । शक्ता वर्णयितुं विप्राऽसंख्येयानां मदादिभिः

Transliteration

ke māṇikarṇikeyānāṃ guṇānāṃ sugarīyasām | śaktā varṇayituṃ viprā'saṃkhyeyānāṃ madādibhiḥ

Translation

ஓ விப்ரர்களே! மகிமை முதலியவற்றால் புகழ்பெற்ற, மிகக் கனமிக்கவும் எண்ணிலடங்காதவுமான மணிகர்ணிகையின் சிறப்புகளை யார் வர்ணிக்க வல்லார்?

Word by Word

• के: who (indeed)
• के: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• माणिकर्णिकेयानाम्: of those belonging to Maṇikarṇikā
• माणिकर्णिकेयानाम्: षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: माणिकर्णिकेय (प्रातिपदिक) < मणिकर्णिका + एय (तद्धित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक विशेषणम् (गुणानाम्)

• गुणानाम्: of the qualities
• गुणानाम्: षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सुगरीयसाम्: of the very excellent (qualities)
• सुगरीयसाम्: षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (Genitive qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुगरीयस् (प्रातिपदिक; गुणवाचक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (गुणानाम्)

• शक्ताः: capable
• शक्ताः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्त (प्रातिपदिक; √शक् से निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (के)

• वर्णयितुम्: to describe
• वर्णयितुम्: प्रयोजन (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वर्ण् (धातु) + णिच् (प्रेरण) + तुमुन्
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), प्रयोजनार्थक; causative stem (वर्णय-)

• विप्राः: O brāhmaṇas / sages
• विप्राः: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थेऽपि प्रयोगः (O brāhmaṇas)

• असंख्येयानाम्: of countless (ones)
• असंख्येयानाम्: षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (Genitive qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असंख्येय (प्रातिपदिक) = अ + संख्येय (कृदन्त/विशेषण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (गुणानाम्—अध्याहृत)

• मदादिभिः: by (words) such as ‘mada’ etc. / by ‘mada’ and the like
• मदादिभिः: करण (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (मदः आदिः येषु)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-narrator addressing brāhmaṇas on the ghāṭa, hands raised in wonder, while the river and the sacred space glow—suggesting that Maṇikarṇikā’s greatness surpasses depiction; the scene emphasizes reverent silence after praise.

Characters & Entities

• Māṇikarṇikā
• Vipras (brāhmaṇas)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha’s merit is portrayed as immeasurable, inviting reverence rather than mere enumeration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Māṇikarṇikā in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse emphasizes the innumerable guṇas (merits) of the tīrtha.