Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

विधूतपापा ये मर्त्याः परं ज्योतिःस्वरूपिणीम् । सहस्रसूर्यप्रतिमां गंगां पश्यंति ते भुवि

Transliteration

vidhūtapāpā ye martyāḥ paraṃ jyotiḥsvarūpiṇīm | sahasrasūryapratimāṃ gaṃgāṃ paśyaṃti te bhuvi

Translation

Ces mortels dont les péchés ont été secoués—sur la terre ils contemplent la Gaṅgā, dont la nature est la Lumière suprême, rayonnante comme mille soleils.

Word by Word

• विधूतपापाः: those whose sins are washed away
• विधूतपापाः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + धूत (धू-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (विधूतानि पापानि येषां ते)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• मर्त्याः: mortals
• मर्त्याः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (ज्योतिःस्वरूपिणीम्/गङ्गाम्)

• ज्योतिःस्वरूपिणीम्: having the nature of light
• ज्योतिःस्वरूपिणीम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (गङ्गाम्); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ज्योतिषः स्वरूपिणी)

• सहस्रसूर्यप्रतिमाम्: like a thousand suns
• सहस्रसूर्यप्रतिमाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक) + सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रतिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (गङ्गाम्); तत्पुरुषः (सहस्र-सूर्याणां प्रतिमा इव)

• गङ्गाम्: the Ganga
• गङ्गाम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पश्यन्ति: see
• पश्यन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुव्/भूमि-सम्बद्ध)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṅgā at sunrise in Kāśī blazing with supernatural brilliance; purified pilgrims gaze in awe as the river appears as a column/field of light, ‘a thousand suns,’ while the city’s ghats silhouette against the radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity enables true perception: those freed from pāpa can behold Gaṅgā not merely as water, but as a manifestation of divine light.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā in Kāśī, praised as jyotiḥ-svarūpiṇī—an embodiment of transcendent radiance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the emphasis is on darśana of Gaṅgā with purified disposition.