Shloka 68

The Greatness of Kāśī (Kāśī-māhātmya) and Avimukta’s Liberative Power

Devanagari script

तेषु मुक्तिः समुद्दिष्टा पतितानां स्वकर्मणा । तत्रापि सर्वतीर्थानामुत्तमा मणिकर्णिका ॥ ६८ ॥

Transliteration

teṣu muktiḥ samuddiṣṭā patitānāṃ svakarmaṇā | tatrāpi sarvatīrthānāmuttamā maṇikarṇikā || 68 ||

Translation

ในบรรดาตีรถะเหล่านั้น ได้ประกาศว่ามีโมกษะได้แม้แก่ผู้ตกต่ำเพราะกรรมของตนเอง; และในบรรดาตีรถะทั้งปวง มณิกรรณิกาเป็นยอดยิ่ง

Word by Word

• तेषु: among them/in those
• तेषु: अधिकरण (Adhikarana/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• समुद्दिष्टा: is declared
• समुद्दिष्टा: क्रिया (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+उद्+दिश् (धातु) → समुद्दिष्ट (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘समुद्दिष्टा’ = indicated/declared

• पतितानाम्: of the fallen
• पतितानाम्: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पतित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘पतित’ = fallen/sinners

• स्व-कर्मणा: by one’s own actions
• स्व-कर्मणा: करण (Karana/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (कर्मन्), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—स्वस्य कर्म (one’s own deed)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: देशाधिकरण (Locative sense/There)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: there)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-निपात (also/even)

• सर्व-तीर्थानाम्: of all sacred places
• सर्व-तीर्थानाम्: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (तीर्थ), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः—सर्वाणि तीर्थानि

• उत्तमा: the best
• उत्तमा: विशेषण (Qualifier of ‘मणिकर्णिका’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (superlative sense)

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

Speaker

Narada (teaching within the Uttara-Bhaga tirtha-mahatmya dialogue, traditionally framed as Narada’s instruction to the Sanatkumara brothers)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Manikarnika
• Tirtha
• Mukti
• Karma

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It elevates tīrtha-sevā as a mokṣa-oriented practice, stating that even those spiritually “fallen” due to their own karma are spoken of as capable of attaining liberation, and it singles out Maṇikarṇikā as the highest among all pilgrimage places.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

By ranking Maṇikarṇikā as the supreme tīrtha, the verse implicitly supports bhakti-infused tīrtha-yātrā—approaching a sacred place with reverence, surrender, and remembrance of the Lord—so that past karmic decline does not obstruct the possibility of mokṣa.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

This verse is primarily a tīrtha-mahātmya statement (not a Vedāṅga technical passage); practically, it points to Dharma-śāstra style guidance on tīrtha selection and the karmic logic (karma-phala) behind pilgrimage-oriented rites such as स्नान (ritual bathing) and tīrtha-sevā.