Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

जले द्युनद्या निष्पापे कथं तस्य परा गतिः । अपमृत्यु विपन्नस्य तदीश विनिवेद्यताम्

Transliteration

jale dyunadyā niṣpāpe kathaṃ tasya parā gatiḥ | apamṛtyu vipannasya tadīśa vinivedyatām

Translation

Wenn seine Überreste in den sündenvertilgenden Wassern des himmlischen Stromes ruhen, welches ist dann sein höchstes Ziel? Und über den, der durch einen vorzeitigen Tod umkam—o Herr—möge dies dargelegt werden.

Word by Word

• जले: in water
• जले: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• द्युनद्या: by/with the heavenly river
• द्युनद्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्युनदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• निष्पापे: sinless/purifying
• निष्पापे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of जले)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• परा: supreme/highest
• परा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (of गति)

• गतिः: destination
• गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अपमृत्यु: untimely death
• अपमृत्यु: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप + मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अकाल-मृत्युः)

• विपन्नस्य: of one who has perished/met calamity
• विपन्नस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + पद् (धातु) → विपन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/न-प्रत्ययान्त), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; विशेषण

• तद्: that (matter)
• तद्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; here as object to be reported (द्वितीया)

• ईश: O Lord
• ईश: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• विनिवेद्यताम्: let it be reported/informed
• विनिवेद्यताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + नि + वेद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive imperative: let it be reported)

Speaker

Viṣṇu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (dyunadī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva (Īśa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A questioning divine assembly: Viṣṇu gestures toward the flowing Gaṅgā while asking about the fate of the wicked and those who died untimely; the river appears as a luminous purifier.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Dyunadī (Gaṅgā)
• Īśa (Śiva implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames a key Purāṇic theme: sacred geography (Gaṅgā) can alter outcomes, prompting inquiry into justice, grace, and karma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā as ‘dyunadī’ (the heavenly river), within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa tīrtha discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse asks for clarification regarding the fate of those connected to Gaṅgā waters, including victims of apamṛtyu.