Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

अश्वमेधायुतं कृत्वा गंगां स्नात्वा शतं समाः । न शुद्धिर्जायते प्रायो मत्पापस्य गरीयसः

Transliteration

aśvamedhāyutaṃ kṛtvā gaṃgāṃ snātvā śataṃ samāḥ | na śuddhirjāyate prāyo matpāpasya garīyasaḥ

Translation

Quand bien même j’accomplirais dix mille sacrifices d’Aśvamedha et me baignerais dans la sainte Gaṅgā durant cent ans, la purification naîtrait à peine pour mon lourd péché.

Word by Word

• अश्वमेधायुतम्: ten thousand Aśvamedha (sacrifices)
• अश्वमेधायुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध + अयुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अश्वमेधानाम् अयुतम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — ‘ten-thousand (number) of aśvamedhas’

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/absolutive) — ‘having done’

• गङ्गाम्: the Ganges
• गङ्गाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — ‘Gaṅgā (river)’

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund) — ‘having bathed’

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma (Object/extent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक

• समाः: years
• समाः: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — ‘years’ (time-span)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• शुद्धिः: purification
• शुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — ‘purification’

• जायते: arises
• जायते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘arises/occurs’

• प्रायः: generally
• प्रायः: Adverbial modifier (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रायस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — ‘generally/for the most part’

• मत्: my
• मत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी) एकवचन-रूप ‘मत्’ (enclitic genitive base) used in compound

• पापस्य: of sin
• पापस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — ‘of sin’

• गरीयसः: of the greater (heavier)
• गरीयसः: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गरीयस् (प्रातिपदिक; तुलनात्मक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — ‘of the heavier/greater’ (comparative adjective qualifying पापस्य)

Speaker

A remorseful sinner/supplicant woman (unnamed in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A remorseful figure imagines performing countless Aśvamedhas and bathing in the Gaṅgā for a century, yet still feeling unpurified—ritual grandeur contrasted with inner heaviness.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvamedha
• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer rites and even great merits can feel insufficient without deep inner transformation; sincere repentance is essential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā is invoked as the paradigmatic tīrtha of purification, though the speaker fears her sin is exceptionally heavy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Aśvamedha yajña and Gaṅgā-snāna are referenced as purificatory acts (not prescribed here, but cited for comparison).