Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

इष्ट्वा क्रतूनपि नृपा बहून्पर्याप्तदक्षिणान् । श्रयंते श्रेयसे धन्याः प्रांतेऽधिमणिकर्णिकम्

Transliteration

iṣṭvā kratūnapi nṛpā bahūnparyāptadakṣiṇān | śrayaṃte śreyase dhanyāḥ prāṃte'dhimaṇikarṇikam

Translation

بہت سے کرتو (یَجْن) ادا کر کے اور وافر دَکْشِنا (نذرانہ) دے کر، بادشاہ بھی—زندگی کے آخری کنارے پر—اعلیٰ ترین خیر کے لیے، مبارک ہو کر، مَṇِکَرṇِکا کی پناہ لیتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• इष्ट्वा: having performed sacrifice
• इष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यज् (धातु) → इष्ट्वा (क्त्वा-अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund), पूर्वकाले क्रिया (having sacrificed/worshipped)

• क्रतून्: sacrificial rites
• क्रतून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle: also/even)

• नृपाः: kings
• नृपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying क्रतून्)

• पर्याप्तदक्षिणान्: with adequate sacrificial gifts
• पर्याप्तदक्षिणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर्याप्त (प्रातिपदिक) + दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying क्रतून्): ‘having sufficient fees/gifts’

• श्रयन्ते: take refuge in, resort to
• श्रयन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रि (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• श्रेयसे: for the highest good
• श्रेयसे: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजन (for the sake of)

• धन्याः: fortunate, blessed
• धन्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying नृपाः)

• प्रान्ते: at the end/edge (there)
• प्रान्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• अधि: upon, at
• अधि: Sambandha (Prepositional/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधि (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: अव्यय, उपसर्गसदृश-पूर्वपद (preposition: upon/over/at)

• मणिकर्णिकम्: Maṇikarṇikā (the place)
• मणिकर्णिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणिकर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; (रूपं: -ām अपेक्षितम्; पाठभेद/प्रयोगे नपुंसक-रूपवत्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrī Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages / internal Kāśī interlocutors

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal procession—king with umbrella and attendants—arrives humbly at Maṇikarṇikā; sacrificial paraphernalia and gift-chests are left behind as he steps toward the Gaṅgā, hands folded, seeking śreyas.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇikarṇikā
• Kāśī (Varanasi)
• Kratū (Vedic sacrifice)
• Dakṣiṇā
• Nṛpa (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly power and even great sacrificial merit culminate in seeking the supreme welfare (śreyas) through Maṇikarṇikā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā tīrtha/ghāṭ in Kāśī, approached especially at life’s end for the highest good.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of many Vedic sacrifices (kratū) along with proper dakṣiṇā (gifts to officiants).