Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

वैकुंठे विष्णुभवने विष्णुभक्तिपरायणाः । जपेयुः सततं मुक्त्यै श्रीमतीं मणिकर्णिकाम्

Transliteration

vaikuṃṭhe viṣṇubhavane viṣṇubhaktiparāyaṇāḥ | japeyuḥ satataṃ muktyai śrīmatīṃ maṇikarṇikām

Translation

在毗昆他（Vaikuṇṭha）、即毗湿奴（Viṣṇu）之居处，诸全心安住于毗湿奴奉爱（bhakti）者，为求解脱，恒常持诵光辉的摩尼迦耳尼迦（Maṇikarṇikā）之名。

Word by Word

• वैकुण्ठे: in Vaikuṇṭha
• वैकुण्ठे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैकुण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• विष्णुभवने: in Viṣṇu’s abode
• विष्णुभवने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + भवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘विष्णोः भवनम्’ (abode of Viṣṇu)

• विष्णुभक्तिपरायणाः: those devoted to Viṣṇu-bhakti
• विष्णुभक्तिपरायणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘विष्णुभक्तौ परायणाः’ (devoted to devotion to Viṣṇu)

• जपेयुः: should recite
• जपेयुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• सततम्: constantly
• सततम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषणवत्; अव्ययप्रयोग (adverbial accusative)

• मुक्त्यै: for liberation
• मुक्त्यै: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• श्रीमतीम्: auspicious, glorious
• श्रीमतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रीमती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘मणिकर्णिकाम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• मणिकर्णिकाम्: Maṇikarṇikā
• मणिकर्णिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणिकर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Adhyāya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrī Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial Vaikuṇṭha scene: Viṣṇu enthroned with Lakṣmī, surrounded by devotees who, with rosaries, chant ‘Maṇikarṇikā’; in a visionary inset, the Kāśī ghāṭa glows on the Gaṅgā, linking heaven and earth through sacred name.

Characters & Entities

• Vaikuṇṭha
• Viṣṇu
• Maṇikarṇikā
• Japa
• Mukti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Maṇikarṇikā’s liberating fame is so great that even Viṣṇu’s devotees in Vaikuṇṭha cherish its remembrance for mukti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śrī Maṇikarṇikā in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Satata-japa (continuous chanting/recitation) of Maṇikarṇikā’s name for liberation.