Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

काश्यां तीर्थान्यनेकानि काश्यां लिगान्यनेकशः । तथापि सेव्यो विश्वेशः स्नातव्या मणिकर्णिका

Transliteration

kāśyāṃ tīrthānyanekāni kāśyāṃ ligānyanekaśaḥ | tathāpi sevyo viśveśaḥ snātavyā maṇikarṇikā

Translation

کاشی میں بے شمار تیرتھ ہیں، کاشی میں لاتعداد لِنگ ہیں؛ پھر بھی سب سے بڑھ کر وِشوِیش کی عبادت کرنی چاہیے اور منیکرنیکا میں اشنان کرنا چاہیے۔

Word by Word

• kāśyām: in Kāśī
• kāśyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन

• tīrthāni: pilgrimage places
• tīrthāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), बहुवचन

• anekāni: many
• anekāni: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aneka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (to tīrthāni)

• kāśyām: in Kāśī
• kāśyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• liṅgāni: liṅgas
• liṅgāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• anekaśaḥ: in many (instances)
• anekaśaḥ: Visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anekaśas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: 'in many ways/many times')

• tathāpi: nevertheless
• tathāpi: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय) + api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-समुच्चय (concessive particle: 'even so/however')

• sevyaḥ: to be served/worshipped
• sevyaḥ: Kriya (Predicative necessity/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sevya (प्रातिपदिक; √sev + यत्)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• viśveśaḥ: Viśveśa (Lord of the universe)
• viśveśaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśveśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• snātavyā: to be bathed in
• snātavyā: Kriya (Predicative necessity/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: snātavya (प्रातिपदिक; √snā + तव्य)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (to maṇikarṇikā)

• maṇikarṇikā: Maṇikarṇikā (ghāṭ/kuṇḍa)
• maṇikarṇikā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṇikarṇikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic Kāśī: countless liṅgas and ghāṭas suggested, yet the composition draws the eye to Viśveśa’s shrine and Maṇikarṇikā’s steps where pilgrims bathe.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Viśveśa
• Maṇikarṇikā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Among Kāśī’s many holy options, the tradition highlights a focused devotional center: Viśveśa and Maṇikarṇikā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā tīrtha (for snāna) and Viśveśa/Viśveśvara (for worship) are explicitly exalted.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā/arcana of Viśveśa and snāna at Maṇikarṇikā.