Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

गंगास्नानार्थमुद्युक्तो मध्येमार्गं मृतो यदि । गंगास्नानफलं सोपि तदाप्नोति न संशयः

Transliteration

gaṃgāsnānārthamudyukto madhyemārgaṃ mṛto yadi | gaṃgāsnānaphalaṃ sopi tadāpnoti na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Si quelqu’un se met en route pour se baigner dans la Gaṅgā et meurt au milieu du chemin, lui aussi obtient le fruit du bain dans la Gaṅgā; point de doute.

Word by Word

• गङ्गास्नानार्थम्: for the purpose of bathing in the Ganga
• गङ्गास्नानार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गङ्गायाः स्नानस्य अर्थः)

• उद्युक्तः: engaged/ready
• उद्युक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्युक्त (कृदन्त; √युज् (धातु) उपसर्ग-उद्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) — ‘engaged/ready’

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• मार्गम्: the path/way
• मार्गम्: Adhikarana (Path/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गत्यर्थे देश-निर्देशः (accusative of path)

• मृतः: dead
• मृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त; √मृ (धातु))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) — ‘dead’

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक-निपात (conditional particle)

• गङ्गास्नानफलम्: the fruit of bathing in the Ganga
• गङ्गास्नानफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गङ्गायाः स्नानस्य फलम्)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also/even)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• न: not/no
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Pratishedha (Negated-existence/प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वाक्ये ‘न संशयः’ इति नास्तित्वार्थे

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Kāśī-Gaṅgā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim sets out with water-pot and staff, eyes fixed on the imagined Gaṅgā; he collapses on the road while celestial beings (or Gaṅgā’s grace) acknowledge his saṅkalpa; distant vision of Kāśī ghāṭas and flowing river appears as a luminous promise.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere intention (saṅkalpa) toward a sacred act carries spiritual efficacy, even if the act is interrupted by death.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā tīrtha, approached as a pilgrimage destination within the Kāśī framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertaking pilgrimage for Gaṅgā-snāna; the verse highlights the merit of the vow/intention itself.