Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

किमष्टांगेन योगेन किं तपोभिः किमध्वरैः । वास एव हि गंगायां ब्रह्मज्ञानस्य कारणम्

Transliteration

kimaṣṭāṃgena yogena kiṃ tapobhiḥ kimadhvaraiḥ | vāsa eva hi gaṃgāyāṃ brahmajñānasya kāraṇam

Translation

ما الحاجة إلى يوغا الأطراف الثمانية، وما الحاجة إلى التقشّف، وما الحاجة إلى القرابين العظيمة؟ إن مجرد الإقامة عند الغانغا (Gaṅgā) سببٌ لمعرفة البراهمان (Brahma-jñāna).

Word by Word

• किम्: what (use?)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• अष्टाङ्गेन: by eight-limbed (yoga)
• अष्टाङ्गेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टाङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (अष्ट + अङ्ग)

• योगेन: by yoga
• योगेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• किम्: what (use?)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• तपोभिः: by austerities
• तपोभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• किम्: what (use?)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• अध्वरैः: by sacrifices (rites)
• अध्वरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• वासः: dwelling, residence
• वासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• एव: alone, indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis/only)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• गङ्गायाम्: in the Gaṅgā (on the Gaṅgā)
• गङ्गायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मज्ञानस्य: of knowledge of Brahman
• ब्रह्मज्ञानस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्म + ज्ञान)

• कारणम्: cause
• कारणम्: Pradhana (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa often Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā-tīra-vāsa (Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet hermitage-like dwelling on a Kāśī ghāṭa: a seeker lives simply, watching Gaṅgā flow; the river’s shimmer transforms into a subtle vision of Brahman—form dissolving into luminous stillness.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Aṣṭāṅga-yoga
• Brahma-jñāna
• Adhvara (yajña)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred residence (vāsa) by Gaṅgā is celebrated as a powerful catalyst for Brahman-realization, even beyond demanding disciplines.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā and specifically gaṅgā-vāsa (dwelling near the river).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied prescription is gaṅgāyāṃ vāsa—taking up residence at Gaṅgā as a spiritual discipline.