Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

जगन्मंगलभूर्यात्र परमा मणिकर्णिका । विपाशयामि तत्राहं कर्मभिः पाशितान्पशून्

Transliteration

jaganmaṃgalabhūryātra paramā maṇikarṇikā | vipāśayāmi tatrāhaṃ karmabhiḥ pāśitānpaśūn

Translation

உலகிற்கு மங்களம் தரும் பரம யாத்திரைத் தீர்த்தம்—இந்த மணிகர்ணிகை. அங்கே கர்மப் பாசங்களால் கட்டுண்ட உயிர்களை நான் அவிழ்த்து விடுதலை அளிக்கிறேன்.

Word by Word

• जगन्मंगलभूः: the source of the world’s auspiciousness
• जगन्मंगलभूः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + मङ्गल + भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular); तत्पुरुषः (जगतः मङ्गलस्य भूः = source/ground of the world’s auspiciousness)

• यात्रा: pilgrimage/holy journey
• यात्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• परमा: supreme
• परमा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular); विशेषण (qualifying मणिकर्णिका/यात्रा)

• मणिकर्णिका: Maṇikarṇikā (sacred place/ghāṭ)
• मणिकर्णिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणि + कर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular); तत्पुरुषः (मणेः कर्णिका)

• विपाशयामि: I unbind/free
• विपाशयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + √पाश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative sense: ‘I cause to be unbound/free’)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative, Singular)

• कर्मभिः: by deeds (karmas)
• कर्मभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Plural)

• पाशितान्: bound
• पाशितान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाशित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √पाश्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Plural); भूतकृदन्त/कर्मणि-प्रयोग (past passive participle: ‘bound’)

• पशून्: beings (as ‘cattle’/creatures)
• पशून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Plural)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Seekers/pilgrims within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Maṇikarṇikā ghāṭ with funeral pyres, priests, and pilgrims; above, an unseen compassionate Śiva presence symbolically cutting karmic bonds; the mood is solemn yet liberative.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇikarṇikā
• Kāśī (Varanasi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Maṇikarṇikā is celebrated as a liberating locus where karmic bondage is loosened by divine power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā in Kāśī (Varanasi), famed as a supreme pilgrimage and liberation-ground.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pilgrimage (yātrā) to Maṇikarṇikā is implied; the verse chiefly stresses karmic release rather than a specific ritual act.