Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 59
गंगातोयेन सर्वेण मृद्भारैः पर्वतोपमैः । आ मृत्योराचरञ्छौचं भावदुष्टो न शुध्यति
gaṃgātoyena sarveṇa mṛdbhāraiḥ parvatopamaiḥ | ā mṛtyorācarañchaucaṃ bhāvaduṣṭo na śudhyati
Even if one were to practice bodily cleansing until death—using all the waters of the Gaṅgā and heaps of earth like mountains—one whose inner disposition is corrupt does not become pure.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)
Tirtha: Gaṅgā
Type: river
Scene: A vast Gaṅgā river scene with pilgrims bathing; one figure radiates calm devotion, another remains dark/opaque despite repeated washing, with heaps of cleansing earth piled nearby like small hills.
FAQs
Even the holiest waters cannot cleanse a corrupt inner disposition; inner purity is indispensable.
The Gaṅgā is referenced as the supreme purifier, yet the verse stresses that her power bears fruit only with purified intention.
Bodily cleansing with sacred water and earth is mentioned, but it is declared insufficient without bhāvaśuddhi.