Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

अज्ञानरागलोभाद्यैः पुंसां संमूढचेतसाम् । श्रद्धा न जायते धर्मे गंगायां च विशेषतः

Transliteration

ajñānarāgalobhādyaiḥ puṃsāṃ saṃmūḍhacetasām | śraddhā na jāyate dharme gaṃgāyāṃ ca viśeṣataḥ

Translation

Bei Menschen, deren Geist durch Unwissenheit, Anhaftung, Gier und dergleichen verwirrt ist, entsteht kein Glaube an den Dharma—und erst recht nicht an die Gaṅgā.

Word by Word

• अज्ञानरागलोभाद्यैः: by ignorance, attachment, greed, etc.
• अज्ञानरागलोभाद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज्ञान + राग + लोभ + आदि (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व/समुच्चयार्थः; 'आद्य' = 'आदि' (etc.)

• पुंसाम्: of men
• पुंसाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुम्स्/पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• संमूढचेतसाम्: of those whose minds are deluded
• संमूढचेतसाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संमूढ (कृदन्त; सम्+√मुह्, क्त) + चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कर्मधारय-प्रायः) 'संमूढं चेतः येषाम्'

• श्रद्धा: faith
• श्रद्धा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• जायते: is born, arises
• जायते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• धर्मे: in dharma / in righteousness
• धर्मे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• गंगायाम्: in/at the Ganga
• गंगायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Adverbial modifier (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Jāhnavī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Interlocutors seeking Kāśī-Gaṅgā merit (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contrast scene on a Kāśī ghāṭ: some pilgrims bathe with devotion, while others, distracted by desire and greed, pass by unmoved; a sage points to the inner causes of faithlessness.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Dharma
• Ajñāna
• Rāga
• Lobha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner impurities—ignorance, attachment, and greed—block śraddhā; purification of mind is essential for Dharma and tīrtha-devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā, particularly as encountered in the Kāśī sacred landscape, is highlighted as a supreme object of faith.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external ritual is specified; the verse implies ethical and psychological purification as the prerequisite for fruitful tīrtha practice.