Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

किंवायुपाप्यरोगेण विकासिन्याथ किं श्रिया । किं वा बुद्ध्या विमलया यदि गंगां न सेवते

Transliteration

kiṃvāyupāpyarogeṇa vikāsinyātha kiṃ śriyā | kiṃ vā buddhyā vimalayā yadi gaṃgāṃ na sevate

Translation

À quoi sert une santé sans maladie, ou une vigueur épanouie ? À quoi sert la prospérité, ou même une intelligence pure et limpide, si l’on ne sert pas la sainte Gaṅgā ?

Word by Word

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (Interrogative; Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• आयुः: life-span
• आयुः: Karta (Subject of implied ‘is (of use)’/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• आप्य: adequate/attained
• आप्य: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आप्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गुणवाचक (Neuter, Nominative, Singular; ‘attainable/obtained’—here ‘healthy/adequate’)

• रोगेण: with disease (or by disease)
• रोगेण: Karana (Instrument/association/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• विकासिन्या: with flourishing (condition)
• विकासिन्या: Karana (Means/association/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विकासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)

• अथ: then/and
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/प्रसङ्गार्थक-अव्यय (particle: then/and)

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (Interrogative; Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• श्रिया: with prosperity
• श्रिया: Karana (Means/association/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (Interrogative; Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• बुद्ध्या: with intellect
• बुद्ध्या: Karana (Means/association/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)

• विमलया: pure
• विमलया: Karana (Qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बुद्धेः विशेषणम् (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular; adjective of ‘buddhyā’)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Hetu/Condition (Condition/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional conjunction: if)

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

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• सेवते: serves/resorts to
• सेवते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (Present Indicative, 3rd person, Singular, Ātmanepada)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśī-khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (service/Sevā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A prosperous household scene fades into the background; in the foreground, a healthy, radiant person offers a lamp and flowers to Gaṅgā at twilight; the river reflects the flame, symbolizing redirected life-purpose.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Śrī (prosperity as concept)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Health, wealth, and intelligence are portrayed as incomplete without devotion expressed through Gaṅgā-sevā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā tīrtha, revered as a living focus of dharma and purification in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā—active reverent service/attendance to the Gaṅgā (which may include visiting, bathing, offerings, and respectful conduct).