Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

किंवायुपाप्यरोगेण विकासिन्याथ किं श्रिया । किं वा बुद्ध्या विमलया यदि गंगां न सेवते

Transliteration

kiṃvāyupāpyarogeṇa vikāsinyātha kiṃ śriyā | kiṃ vā buddhyā vimalayā yadi gaṃgāṃ na sevate

Translation

Was nützt Gesundheit, die keine Krankheit berührt, oder blühende Lebenskraft? Was nützt Wohlstand, ja selbst ein reiner, klarer Geist, wenn man der heiligen Gaṅgā nicht dient?

Word by Word

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (Interrogative; Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• आयुः: life-span
• आयुः: Karta (Subject of implied ‘is (of use)’/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• आप्य: adequate/attained
• आप्य: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आप्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गुणवाचक (Neuter, Nominative, Singular; ‘attainable/obtained’—here ‘healthy/adequate’)

• रोगेण: with disease (or by disease)
• रोगेण: Karana (Instrument/association/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• विकासिन्या: with flourishing (condition)
• विकासिन्या: Karana (Means/association/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विकासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)

• अथ: then/and
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/प्रसङ्गार्थक-अव्यय (particle: then/and)

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (Interrogative; Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• श्रिया: with prosperity
• श्रिया: Karana (Means/association/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (Interrogative; Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• बुद्ध्या: with intellect
• बुद्ध्या: Karana (Means/association/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)

• विमलया: pure
• विमलया: Karana (Qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बुद्धेः विशेषणम् (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular; adjective of ‘buddhyā’)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Hetu/Condition (Condition/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional conjunction: if)

• गङ्गाम्: the Ganga
• गङ्गाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

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

• सेवते: serves/resorts to
• सेवते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (Present Indicative, 3rd person, Singular, Ātmanepada)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśī-khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (service/Sevā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A prosperous household scene fades into the background; in the foreground, a healthy, radiant person offers a lamp and flowers to Gaṅgā at twilight; the river reflects the flame, symbolizing redirected life-purpose.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Śrī (prosperity as concept)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Health, wealth, and intelligence are portrayed as incomplete without devotion expressed through Gaṅgā-sevā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā tīrtha, revered as a living focus of dharma and purification in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā—active reverent service/attendance to the Gaṅgā (which may include visiting, bathing, offerings, and respectful conduct).