Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

सीमंतिन्योपि सततं पतिव्रतपरायणाः । मुक्त्यै पतिमनुव्रज्य श्रयंति मणिकर्णिकाम्

Transliteration

sīmaṃtinyopi satataṃ pativrataparāyaṇāḥ | muktyai patimanuvrajya śrayaṃti maṇikarṇikām

Translation

پتی ورتا (شوہر وفاداری کے ورت) میں ہمیشہ قائم رہنے والی ستی عورتیں بھی، مکتی کے لیے اپنے پتی کے پیچھے چل کر، مَṇِکَرṇِکا کی پناہ لیتی ہیں۔

Word by Word

• सीमन्तिन्यः: married women
• सीमन्तिन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सीमन्तिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

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

• सततम्: always
• सततम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: always)

• पतिव्रतपरायणाः: devoted to the vow of fidelity to husband
• पतिव्रतपरायणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पतिव्रत (प्रातिपदिक; पति + व्रत) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying सीमन्तिन्यः)

• मुक्त्यै: for liberation
• मुक्त्यै: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजन

• पतिम्: husband
• पतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• अनुव्रज्य: having followed
• अनुव्रज्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनु + व्रज् (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यबन्त-अव्यय (Gerund), ‘following/going after’

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

• मणिकर्णिकाम्: Maṇikarṇikā
• मणिकर्णिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणिकर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

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 devoted wife, veiled and composed, walks beside or just behind her husband toward the Gaṅgā steps; she holds a small offering plate with flowers and a lamp, eyes fixed on the sacred ghāṭa, with a tender, solemn atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇikarṇikā
• Kāśī (Varanasi)
• Pativratā (ideal of fidelity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Maṇikarṇikā’s liberating power is accessible to devoted householders as well, not only ascetics.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā in Kāśī, approached for mokṣa even by pativratā wives.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the emphasis is on devoted conduct (pativrata) and taking refuge in the tīrtha.