Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

गंगां गंतुं विनिश्चित्य कृत्वा श्राद्धादिकं गृहे । स्थितस्य सम्यक्संकल्पात्तस्य नंदंति पूर्वजाः

Transliteration

gaṃgāṃ gaṃtuṃ viniścitya kṛtvā śrāddhādikaṃ gṛhe | sthitasya samyaksaṃkalpāttasya naṃdaṃti pūrvajāḥ

Translation

গঙ্গালৈ যাম বুলি দৃঢ় সংকল্প কৰি, ঘৰত শ্ৰাদ্ধ আদি কৰ্ম সম্পন্ন কৰিলে—কেৱল সেই শুদ্ধ সংকল্পতেই পিতৃলোক আনন্দিত হয়।

Word by Word

• गङ्गाम्: to the Ganga
• गङ्गाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; Accusative Singular (feminine)

• गन्तुम्: to go
• गन्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive); गम्-धातोः; infinitive ‘to go’

• विनिश्चित्य: having firmly decided
• विनिश्चित्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + नि + चि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having ascertained/decided’

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having done’

• श्राद्धादिकम्: śrāddha and related rites
• श्राद्धादिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध + आदि (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: आदि-तत्पुरुष (श्राद्धम् आदिः यस्य/श्राद्ध-आदि); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; Accusative Singular (neuter)

• गृहे: at home
• गृहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; Locative Singular (neuter)

• स्थितस्य: of the one who remains (so)
• स्थितस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) ‘स्थित’; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; Genitive Singular; ‘of one who is situated/remaining’

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• संकल्पात्: from (his) resolve
• संकल्पात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संकल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; Ablative Singular (masculine)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; Genitive Singular pronoun

• नन्दन्ति: rejoice
• नन्दन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नन्द् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; Present Indicative 3rd Plural

• पूर्वजाः: ancestors
• पूर्वजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; Nominative Plural (masculine)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (as yātrā-saṅkalpa tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder at home performs śrāddha—offering piṇḍa and water with kuśa grass—while mentally envisioning the Gaṅgā journey; in a subtle overlay, ancestors appear serene and pleased, receiving the offering.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Śrāddha
• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sincere and correct saṃkalpa (religious resolve) itself carries spiritual potency, especially when oriented toward the Gaṅgā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā as a pilgrimage destination within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Make a firm resolve to visit Gaṅgā and perform śrāddha-related rites at home as part of the preparation.