Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

मन्दाकिनी महापुण्या भोगवत्यादिसंयुता । पश्याश्चर्यमिदं भद्रे वाराणसी विमुक्तिदा

Transliteration

mandākinī mahāpuṇyā bhogavatyādisaṃyutā | paśyāścaryamidaṃ bhadre vārāṇasī vimuktidā

Translation

至为圣洁的曼达吉尼河（Mandākinī），与薄伽伐底河（Bhogavatī）等相伴，亦在此处。请观此奇瑞，温柔者啊：赐予解脱的瓦拉纳西（Vārāṇasī），仿佛也在此现前。

Word by Word

• मन्दाकिनी: Mandākinī (river)
• मन्दाकिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दाकिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महापुण्या: greatly holy
• महापुण्या: Karta-anvaya (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय; विशेषण

• भोगवती-आदि-संयुता: joined with Bhogavatī and others
• भोगवती-आदि-संयुता: Karta-anvaya (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भोगवती + आदि + संयुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) 'संयुत'; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष ('भोगवती-आदिभिः संयुता')

• पश्य: see, behold
• पश्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• आश्चर्यम्: wonder, marvel
• आश्चर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भद्रे: O auspicious lady
• भद्रे: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; संबोधन

• वाराणसी: Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विमुक्तिदा: giver of liberation
• विमुक्तिदा: Karta-anvaya (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमुक्ति + दा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष ('विमुक्तिं ददाति')

Speaker

Narrator within Dvārakā-māhātmya (contextual voice)

Characters & Entities

• Mandākinī
• Bhogavatī
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas are spiritually interconnected: Dvārakā is praised as mirroring the liberating potency of Kāśī, famed as vimukti-dā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is glorified by the claim that even Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), renowned for liberation, is present in its sphere of sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; the emphasis is on ‘beholding the wonder’—recognizing tīrtha-mahattva.