Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

यो देहपतनाद्यावद्गंगातीरं न मुंचति । स हि वेदांतविद्योगी ब्रह्मचर्यव्रती सदा

Transliteration

yo dehapatanādyāvadgaṃgātīraṃ na muṃcati | sa hi vedāṃtavidyogī brahmacaryavratī sadā

Translation

Wer das Ufer der Gaṅgā bis zum Fallen des Leibes nicht verlässt, der ist wahrlich ein Kenner des Vedānta, ein Yogi und stets im Gelübde des Brahmacarya gegründet.

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• देहपतनात्: from the fall of the body (from death)
• देहपतनात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह + पतन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादानार्थक/कालसीमा (from the fall of the body = from death); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देहस्य पतनम्)

• आ: up to
• आ: Sambandha (Limit marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; मर्यादार्थक उपसर्ग/निपात (up to)

• यावत्: until
• यावत्: Sambandha (Limit marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/संबन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: अव्यय; मर्यादार्थक (until/as long as)

• गङ्गातीरम्: the bank of the Gaṅgā
• गङ्गातीरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा + तीर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गङ्गायाः तीरम्)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• मुञ्चति: abandons, leaves
• मुञ्चति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तदनुयोगी (correlative pronoun)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक निपात (indeed/for)

• वेदान्तविद्: knower of Vedānta
• वेदान्तविद्: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेदान्त + विद् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (वेदान्तं वेत्ति इति)

• योगी: yogin
• योगी: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मचर्यव्रती: one vowed to celibacy
• ब्रह्मचर्यव्रती: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य + व्रतिन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मचर्यस्य व्रती)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa often Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā-tīra-vāsa (until deha-patana)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience within Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s dialogue frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An aged ascetic on a Gaṅgā ghāṭa, simple cloth, matted hair, holding a Vedānta text; daily routine implied—snāna, japa, silent meditation—while the river flows as a symbol of brahman-consciousness.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Vedānta
• Yoga
• Brahmacarya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steadfast residence by Gaṅgā is equated with the highest spiritual disciplines—Vedānta, yoga, and brahmacarya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā riverbank (gaṅgātīra), especially as a life-long sacred abode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A clear prescription of gaṅgātīra-tyāga-varjana: do not abandon Gaṅgā’s bank until death (a vow-like discipline).