Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

गृहाद्गंगावगाहार्थं गच्छतस्तु पदेपदे । निराशानि व्रजंत्येव पापान्यस्य शरीरतः

Transliteration

gṛhādgaṃgāvagāhārthaṃ gacchatastu padepade | nirāśāni vrajaṃtyeva pāpānyasya śarīrataḥ

Translation

Lorsqu’il quitte sa demeure pour s’immerger dans la sainte Gaṅgā, à chaque pas ses péchés s’éloignent de son corps, sans espoir d’y demeurer.

Word by Word

• गृहात्: from the house
• गृहात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; Ablative Singular (neuter)

• गङ्गावगाहार्थम्: for the purpose of bathing/immersing in the Ganga
• गङ्गावगाहार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा + अवगाह + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थसमास (गङ्गायाम् अवगाहस्य अर्थः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; Accusative Singular used adverbially (purpose)

• गच्छतः: of the one who is going
• गच्छतः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle) ‘गच्छत्’; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; Genitive Singular ‘of one who is going’

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• पदे: at (each) step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; Locative Singular

• पदे: step by step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; Locative Singular; पुनरुक्ति (pade pade)

• निराशानि: hopeless, disappointed
• निराशानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निराश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; Nominative Plural (neuter)

• व्रजन्ति: depart, go away
• व्रजन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; Present Indicative 3rd Plural

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (particle: indeed/only)

• पापानि: sins
• पापानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; Nominative Plural (neuter)

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; Genitive Singular pronoun

• शरीरतः: from the body
• शरीरतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; Ablative Singular (neuter)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A long road with milestones; at each footprint of the pilgrim, dark flecks (sins) peel off and dissolve into dust; the pilgrim grows lighter and more radiant as the Gaṅgā’s shimmering expanse appears nearer.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Pāpa (sin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The very journey toward the Gaṅgā is purifying; pilgrimage is dharma in motion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā-tīrtha, especially as approached for avagāha (immersion/bathing).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertake the Gaṅgā journey from home with the intention of avagāha (ritual immersion/bath).