Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

त्यक्त्वा संसारमार्गं तु स्वर्गमार्गजिगीषवः । गंगानिषेवणं कृत्वा स्फोटयित्वाऽत्मजं मलम्

Transliteration

tyaktvā saṃsāramārgaṃ tu svargamārgajigīṣavaḥ | gaṃgāniṣevaṇaṃ kṛtvā sphoṭayitvā'tmajaṃ malam

Translation

Den Pfad des Saṃsāra verlassend und danach strebend, den Weg zum Himmel zu erringen, verehrten sie die Gaṅgā und schüttelten den aus dem eigenen Selbst geborenen Makel ab.

Word by Word

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• संसारमार्गम्: the path of worldly existence
• संसारमार्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः: संसारस्य मार्गः

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयबोधक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• स्वर्गमार्गजिगीषवः: those eager to attain the heavenly path
• स्वर्गमार्गजिगीषवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्गमार्ग + जिगीषु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; समासः: स्वर्गमार्गं जिगीषवः (desirous of conquering/attaining the path to heaven)

• गङ्गानिषेवणम्: attendance upon the Ganges
• गङ्गानिषेवणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा + निषेवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः: गङ्गायाः निषेवणम् (service/attendance of Gaṅgā)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• स्फोटयित्वा: having burst/expelled
• स्फोटयित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्फोटय् (धातु; causative of स्फुट्/स्फोट्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• आत्मजम्: one's own
• आत्मजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः: आत्मनः जातम् (born of oneself)

• मलम्: impurity
• मलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (Prabhāsa-maṇḍala)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of renunciant pilgrims turn away from a bustling worldly road toward a luminous riverbank; they perform reverent Gaṅgā-sevā, symbolically shedding dark impurities that dissolve into the water’s radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Detachment joined with sacred practice purifies the inner being; holy waters symbolize and support moral-spiritual cleansing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā is central as the purifying tirtha; the surrounding story belongs to Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya in Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gaṅgā-niṣevaṇa—reverent resort to Gaṅgā (commonly including snāna/ablution and devotional observance).