Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

पादेनैकेन यस्तिष्ठेत्सहस्रं शरदां शतम् । अब्दं गंगांबुपो यस्तु तयोर्गंगांबुपोऽधिकः

Transliteration

pādenaikena yastiṣṭhetsahasraṃ śaradāṃ śatam | abdaṃ gaṃgāṃbupo yastu tayorgaṃgāṃbupo'dhikaḥ

Translation

Even if someone were to stand on one foot for an immeasurable span—like a hundred autumns a thousand times over—still, the one who drinks Gaṅgā-water for a year is declared superior to those two in spiritual merit.

Word by Word

• पादेन: with a foot
• पादेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• एकेन: with one
• एकेन: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying पादेन)

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

• तिष्ठेत्: should stand
• तिष्ठेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), तृतीयपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सहस्रम्: a thousand
• सहस्रम्: Karma (Extent/measure as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (कालपरिमाण-प्रयोग)

• शरदाम्: of autumns (years)
• शरदाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (सहस्रम् इत्यस्य विशेषण-सम्बन्ध: ‘of autumns/years’)

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma (Extent/measure as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (कालपरिमाण)

• अब्दम्: for a year
• अब्दम्: Karma (Extent/measure as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (कालपरिमाण)

• गंगाम्बुपः: (the act/person of) drinking Ganga-water
• गंगाम्बुपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा + अम्बुप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: गङ्गायाः अम्बु; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; बलार्थक/अनुवादक (particle)

• तयोः: of the two (acts)
• तयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन

• गंगाम्बुपः: drinker of Ganga-water
• गंगाम्बुपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा + अम्बुप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अधिकः: superior
• अधिकः: Pradhana-visheshana (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā-jala (year-long observance)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two-part contrast: an ascetic balancing on one foot amid passing autumns (śarad) symbolized by falling leaves and changing skies; beside it, a householder-devotee regularly sipping Gaṅgā-water over a year, surrounded by calm radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-grace (Gaṅgā) can surpass extreme austerity when approached with faith and sustained devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā, the foremost tīrtha, especially revered in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Austerity (standing on one foot) is cited for comparison; regular Gaṅgā-pāna over a year is praised.