Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

सर्वेषामपि तीर्थानां गंगास्नानं विशिष्यते । देवखाते च तत्तुल्यं प्रशस्तं स्नानमाचरेत्

Transliteration

sarveṣāmapi tīrthānāṃ gaṃgāsnānaṃ viśiṣyate | devakhāte ca tattulyaṃ praśastaṃ snānamācaret

Translation

Unter allen Tīrthas ist das Bad in der Gaṅgā das vorzüglichste. Das Bad in einem Devakhāta (göttlichen Wasserbecken) ist ihm gleich; man vollziehe dieses gepriesene Bad.

Word by Word

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थ (also/even)

• तीर्थानाम्: of pilgrimage places
• तीर्थानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• गङ्गास्नानम्: bathing in the Ganga
• गङ्गास्नानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गङ्गायाः स्नानम्)

• विशिष्यते: excels/is superior
• विशिष्यते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+शिष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम् (is distinguished/excels)

• देवखाते: in a divine excavation/sacred pit
• देवखाते: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + खात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; खन्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवेन/देवैः खातम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तत्-तुल्यम्: equal to that
• तत्-तुल्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषभावः (तत्सदृशम्)

• प्रशस्तम्: praiseworthy
• प्रशस्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रशस्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; प्र+शंस्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (praised/commendable)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• आचरेत्: should perform
• आचरेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā; Devakhāta (Gaṅgā-tulya)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṅgā as a radiant river-goddess presence over flowing waters; nearby a temple reservoir labeled devakhāta where devotees bathe with equal reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Tīrtha
• Devakhāta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Gaṅgā is upheld as the foremost purifier among tīrthas, embodying the purāṇic ideal of grace through sacred waters.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā is explicitly glorified; additionally, the devakhāta (divine tank) is praised as equivalent in sanctifying power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertake praised bathing—foremost in the Gaṅgā, and likewise in a devakhāta regarded as equal to it.