Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

पितॄनुद्दिश्य यो लिंगं स्नपयेद्गांग वारिणा । तृप्ताः स्युस्तस्य पितरो महानिरयगा अपि

Transliteration

pitṝnuddiśya yo liṃgaṃ snapayedgāṃga vāriṇā | tṛptāḥ syustasya pitaro mahānirayagā api

Translation

Whoever, intending their ancestors, bathes the Śiva-liṅga with Gaṅgā water—his forefathers become satisfied, even if they have gone to a great hell.

Word by Word

• पितṝन्: forefathers/manes
• पितṝन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• उद्दिश्य: dedicating to / intending for
• उद्दिश्य: Kriya-viseshana (Purpose)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उद्-दिश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund); उद्देश्य/निमित्तार्थ (intending/dedicating to)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• लिङ्गम्: (Śiva-)liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• स्नपयेत्: should bathe/wash (it)
• स्नपयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; णिजन्त (to cause to bathe/wash)

• गाङ्ग-वारिणा: with Gaṅgā water
• गाङ्ग-वारिणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक, गङ्गासम्बन्धि) + वारि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (गाङ्गं वारि); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• तृप्ताः: satisfied
• तृप्ताः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; तृप् धातोः क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

• स्युः: would be
• स्युः: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

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

• पितरः: the forefathers
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• महानिरयगाः: even those gone to great hell
• महानिरयगाः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महानिरयग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (महानिरयं गच्छन्ति इति/महानिरय-ग); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अपि-भाव (even/also)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī Gaṅgā + Śiva-liṅga abhiṣeka

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee pours Gaṅgā water over a black stone liṅga; white bilva leaves and flowers rest on top; behind, subtle ethereal silhouettes of ancestors appear relieved, rising from darkness toward light.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Śiva-liṅga
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Niraya (hell)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaiva worship empowered by Gaṅgā water is depicted as extending compassion and benefit even to suffering ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā water as tīrtha, used within Śiva worship—strongly resonant with Kāśī’s Śaiva sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing liṅga-snāpana/abhiṣeka with Gaṅgā water, dedicating the act to one’s ancestors (pitṝn uddiśya).