Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

यथा गंगावगाहेन शरीरं पावनं भवेत् । तथा पतिव्रतां दृष्ट्वा सदनं पावनं भवेत्

Transliteration

yathā gaṃgāvagāhena śarīraṃ pāvanaṃ bhavet | tathā pativratāṃ dṛṣṭvā sadanaṃ pāvanaṃ bhavet

Translation

Wie das Bad in der Gaṅgā den Körper reinigt, so wird auch durch den bloßen Anblick einer pativratā eine Wohnstätte gereinigt.

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (correlative adverb: as)

• गङ्गावगाहेन: by bathing/immersion in the Ganga
• गङ्गावगाहेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा-अवगाह (प्रातिपदिक; गङ्गा + अवगाह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• शरीरम्: body
• शरीरम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पावनम्: purified; purifying/holy
• पावनम्: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् शरीरस्य

• भवेत्: would become; may become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• तथा: so; likewise
• तथा: Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तदनुरूपवाचक-अव्यय (correlative adverb: so)

• पतिव्रताम्: a devoted wife
• पतिव्रताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति-व्रता (प्रातिपदिक; पति + व्रता)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• सदनम्: house; dwelling
• सदनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पावनम्: purified; holy
• पावनम्: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् सदनस्य

• भवेत्: would become; may become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Unknown (contextual narrator within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa; likely a Purāṇic teacher-voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Parallel imagery: a pilgrim bathing in the Gaṅgā on one side; on the other, a humble home becomes luminous as a pativratā is seen at the threshold, suggesting ‘living tīrtha’.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity is not only ritual (Gaṅgā-bath) but also ethical-spiritual; darśana of a virtuous person sanctifies space.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā is directly referenced as the paradigmatic tīrtha of purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gaṅgā-avagāha (bathing/immersion in the Ganges) is referenced as a purifying act.