Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4
Devanagari script
यद्यस्तिकिंचित्षड्वक्त्र गंगास्नानफलप्रदम् । विधानांतरमात्रेण तद्वद प्रणताय मे
Transliteration
yadyastikiṃcitṣaḍvaktra gaṃgāsnānaphalapradam | vidhānāṃtaramātreṇa tadvada praṇatāya me
Translation
হে ষড্বক্ত্র! যদি এমন কোনো সাধন থাকে যা কেবল বিকল্প বিধি দ্বারা গঙ্গাস্নানের ফল প্রদান করে, তবে প্রণত আমাকে তা বলুন।
Word by Word
यदिif
यदि:
Sambandha (Condition)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयदि (अव्यय)
Formशर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional particle ‘if’)
अस्तिthere is
अस्ति:
Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√अस् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
किञ्चित्something
किञ्चित्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकिञ्चित् (सर्वनाम/अव्ययवत्)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)
षड्वक्त्रO Six-faced one (Skanda)
षड्वक्त्र:
Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootषट् + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; (षड्वक्त्र = ‘six-faced’, स्कन्द-सम्बोधन)
गङ्गाGanga
गङ्गा:
Qualifier
TypeNoun
Rootगङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद
स्नानbathing
स्नान:
Qualifier
TypeNoun
Root√स्ना (धातु) + ल्युट् → स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद
फलfruit/result
फल:
Qualifier
TypeNoun
Rootफल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद
प्रदम्bestowing (that fruit)
प्रदम्:
Karta (Predicate nominal)
TypeAdjective
Rootप्रद (प्रातिपदिक; √दा (धातु) with प्र-; कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (gaṃgā-snāna-phala-pradam = ‘giving the fruit of Ganga-bathing’)
विधानprocedure/rite
विधान:
Qualifier
TypeNoun
Rootविधान (प्रातिपदिक; √धा (धातु) with वि-)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद
अन्तरalternative
अन्तर:
Qualifier
TypeAdjective
Rootअन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (meaning ‘other/alternative’)
मात्रेणby mere (means)
मात्रेण:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootमात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; (विधान-अन्तर-मात्रेण = ‘by mere alternative procedure’)
तद्वदlikewise
तद्वद:
Sambandha (Manner)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतद्वत् (अव्यय/तद्धित)
Formतुल्यताबोधक अव्यय (adverb ‘likewise/in that manner’)
प्रणतायto (me) who is bowed
प्रणताय:
Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
TypeAdjective
Rootप्रणत (कृदन्त; प्र-√नम् (धातु) + क्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; (प्रणत = ‘bowed/submissive’)
मेmy / to me (contextual)
मे:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
Formषष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (enclitic)
Speaker
Agastya
Tirtha Mahatmya
Tirtha: Gaṅgā (benchmark)
Type: river
Skanda Dialogue
Listener: Skanda (Ṣaḍvaktra)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A devotee bows low before six-faced Skanda, hands joined, asking for an alternative rite that equals Gaṅgā bathing.
Characters & Entities
A
AgastyaṢ
Ṣaḍvaktra (Skanda)G
GaṅgāFAQs
Humble inquiry and devotion seek a dharmic, accessible substitute for a great pilgrimage act.
The Gaṅgā, whose bathing-fruit is treated as the gold standard of tīrtha merit.
A request for an alternative vidhāna (procedure) that yields the same fruit as Gaṅgā-snānā.