Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

गंगाजलांतस्तिष्ठंति कलिकल्मषभीतितः । अतएव हि संसेव्या कलौ गंगेष्टसिद्धिदा

Transliteration

gaṃgājalāṃtastiṣṭhaṃti kalikalmaṣabhītitaḥ | ataeva hi saṃsevyā kalau gaṃgeṣṭasiddhidā

Translation

Aus Furcht vor den Sünden des Kali-Zeitalters verweilen die heiligen Kräfte im Wasser der Gaṅgā. Darum soll man in Kali-yuga die Gaṅgā eifrig verehren und ihr dienen, denn sie gewährt die ersehnten Vollkommenheiten.

Word by Word

• गङ्गाजलान्तः: within the water of the Ganga
• गङ्गाजलान्तः: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + जल (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तः (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक (locative adverb) ‘अन्तः’ = ‘within’; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘गङ्गायाः जलस्य अन्तः’

• तिष्ठन्ति: they remain/stand
• तिष्ठन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural); परस्मैपद

• कलिकल्मषभीतितः: out of fear of the impurity/sin of Kali (age)
• कलिकल्मषभीतितः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक) + कल्मष (प्रातिपदिक) + भीति (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेतुवाचक (ablatival adverb) ‘-तः’ = ‘from/because of’; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘कलौ कल्मषस्य भीतिः’ → ‘कलिकल्मष-भीति’ + तः

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Discourse connector (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-अर्थक (therefore/from that)

• एव: indeed, certainly
• एव: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• हि: for, indeed
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ निपात (for/indeed)

• संसेव्या: to be resorted to; worthy of service
• संसेव्या: Predicate adjective (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + √सेव् (धातु) → सेव्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विधेय-विशेषण; भाव्य/अनर्ह-प्रत्यय (gerundive/णीयत्-भाव): ‘to be resorted to/should be served’

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• गङ्गा: Ganga
• गङ्गा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• इष्टसिद्धिदा: giver of desired accomplishments
• इष्टसिद्धिदा: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष्ट (कृदन्त; √इष्/√यज्? ‘desired’ as adjective) + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + दा (प्रातिपदिक from √दा ‘giver’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); उपपद-तत्पुरुष/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘इष्टानां सिद्धीनां दा’ = ‘giver of desired attainments’

Speaker

Skanda

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Kali-yuga
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, Gaṅgā is affirmed as an accessible refuge of purification and siddhi, especially when approached with reverence and service.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā within the Kāśī region—Gaṅgā’s waters are presented as the concentrated seat of sanctity in the age of Kali.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is ‘saṃsevanā’—devotional attendance such as visiting, honoring, and reverently engaging with Gaṅgā (commonly through snāna, ācamana, and prayer).