Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34
चरमेपि वयोभागे स्वःसिंधुं यो निषेवते । कृत्वाप्येनांसि बहुशः सोपि यायाच्छुभां गतिम्
caramepi vayobhāge svaḥsiṃdhuṃ yo niṣevate | kṛtvāpyenāṃsi bahuśaḥ sopi yāyācchubhāṃ gatim
Même au dernier âge de la vie, celui qui se réfugie auprès du fleuve céleste, la Gaṅgā, et le sert, bien qu’il ait péché maintes fois, parvient à une destinée propice.
Skanda (deduced)
Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Svarga-sindhu)
Type: kshetra
Listener: null
Scene: An aged pilgrim leaning on a staff reaches the Gaṅgā steps; attendants help him bathe; the river shines like a celestial stream, suggesting release from accumulated sins.
FAQs
No one is beyond hope: turning to Gaṅgā with service and refuge even late in life is portrayed as transformative and salvific.
Gaṅgā, called the ‘svah-sindhu’ (heavenly river), in the Kāśī pilgrimage frame.
Niṣevana/sevā—resorting to Gaṅgā through attendance, reverence, and tīrtha practice (commonly snāna, japa, and worship).