Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

तत्त्वज्ञानाद्यथा मोहः सिंहं दृष्ट्वा यथा मृगाः । तथा सर्वाणि पापानि यांति गंगेक्षणात्क्षयम्

Transliteration

tattvajñānādyathā mohaḥ siṃhaṃ dṛṣṭvā yathā mṛgāḥ | tathā sarvāṇi pāpāni yāṃti gaṃgekṣaṇātkṣayam

Translation

Wie Verblendung durch Erkenntnis der Wirklichkeit vergeht und wie Hirsche beim Anblick eines Löwen auseinanderstieben, so gehen alle Sünden allein durch das Schauen der Gaṅgā zugrunde.

Word by Word

• तत्त्वज्ञानात्: from knowledge of reality
• तत्त्वज्ञानात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘तत्त्वस्य ज्ञानम्’

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Comparative connector (उपमा-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा/प्रकार-वाचक

• मोहः: delusion
• मोहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सिंहम्: a lion
• सिंहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): ‘having seen’

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Comparative connector (उपमा-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा/प्रकार-वाचक

• मृगाः: deer
• मृगाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तथा: so, likewise
• तथा: Comparative connector (उपमा-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तद्वत्-अर्थक (so/in the same way)

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पापानि: sins, evils
• पापानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• यान्ति: go, proceed
• यान्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural); परस्मैपद

• गङ्गेक्षणात्: from seeing the Ganga
• गङ्गेक्षणात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘गङ्गायाः ईक्षणम्’

• क्षयम्: destruction, cessation
• क्षयम्: Gati/Karma (Goal/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Kāśī)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at dawn on a Kāśī ghāṭa gazes upon Gaṅgā; behind him, shadowy forms labeled as sins dissolve like mist; above, a symbolic ‘lion of dharma’ and a radiant ‘tattva-jñāna’ light beam converge on the river’s surface.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Gaṅgā-darśana is extolled as a direct purifier: just as knowledge ends delusion, the vision of Gaṅgā ends pāpa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā at Kāśī—presented as a liberating sight (darśana) with immediate spiritual effect.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (reverent beholding) of Gaṅgā is the implied practice; no further rite is specified in the verse.