Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 120

Devanagari script

ज्ञात्वाज्ञात्वा च गंगायां यः पंचत्वमवाप्नुयात् । अनात्मघाती स्वर्गी स्यान्नरकान्स न पश्यति

Transliteration

jñātvājñātvā ca gaṃgāyāṃ yaḥ paṃcatvamavāpnuyāt | anātmaghātī svargī syānnarakānsa na paśyati

Translation

Ob wissentlich oder unwissentlich: Wer in der Gaṅgā den Tod erlangt — sofern er kein Selbstmörder ist — wird himmelwärts bestimmt und erblickt die Höllen nicht.

Word by Word

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) → ज्ञात्वा (कृदन्त, त्वान्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-अव्यय; त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund) ‘having known’

• अज्ञात्वा: without knowing
• अज्ञात्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + अ- (निषेध) → अज्ञात्वा (कृदन्त, त्वान्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-अव्यय; नञ्-पूर्वक त्वान्त (absolutive) ‘without knowing’

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction ‘and’)

• गङ्गायाम्: in the Gaṅgā
• गङ्गायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; relative pronoun; Nominative singular

• पञ्चत्वम्: the state of five-ness; death (becoming the five elements)
• पञ्चत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• अवाप्नुयात्: should attain
• अवाप्नुयात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; parasmaipada; ‘should attain’

• अनात्मघाती: not a self-slayer (not a suicide)
• अनात्मघाती: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्तृसमाना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनात्मघातिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—नञ्-तत्पुरुष (आत्मघाती न; not a self-killer); Nominative singular

• स्वर्गी: heaven-going; in heaven
• स्वर्गी: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्तृसमाना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्गिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘one who goes to heaven/possessing heaven’; Nominative singular

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; parasmaipada; ‘would be/should be’

• नरकान्: hells
• नरकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Accusative plural

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun; Nominative singular

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

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; parasmaipada

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Jāhnavī)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis; within Kāśī-khaṇḍa, Agastya appears as interlocutor nearby

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a Kāśī ghat, an aged devotee near death is supported by family; Gaṅgā flows calmly. A subtle celestial path opens above, while a dharma-guardian motif signals the prohibition against self-slaughter.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Naraka
• Svarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Death associated with the Gaṅgā is portrayed as salvific, but Purāṇic dharma excludes self-harm from this promised benefit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā (Jāhnavī) as a liberating tīrtha, especially in the Kāśī-khaṇḍa milieu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No detailed ritual is given; the verse states a doctrinal result concerning death at/in the Gaṅgā, with an ethical restriction against suicide.