Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

यावदस्थि मनुष्याणां गंगातोयेषु तिष्ठति । तावदब्दसहस्राणि स्वर्गलोके महीयते

Transliteration

yāvadasthi manuṣyāṇāṃ gaṃgātoyeṣu tiṣṭhati | tāvadabdasahasrāṇi svargaloke mahīyate

Translation

Tant qu’un os d’un homme demeure dans les eaux de la Gaṅgā, durant autant de milliers d’années il est honoré dans le monde céleste.

Word by Word

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/संबन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: अव्यय; यावत् = as long as (correlative)

• अस्थि: a bone
• अस्थि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मनुष्याणाम्: of humans
• मनुष्याणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• गंगातोयेषु: in the waters of the Ganga
• गंगातोयेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा + तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (गङ्गायाः तोयम्)

• तिष्ठति: stands/remains
• तिष्ठति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तावत्: so long
• तावत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय/संबन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: अव्यय; तावत् = so long/that long (correlative)

• अब्दसहस्राणि: thousands of years
• अब्दसहस्राणि: Karma (Extent/कर्म-प्रमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अब्द + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अब्दानां सहस्राणि)

• स्वर्गलोके: in heaven-world
• स्वर्गलोके: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (स्वर्गस्य लोकः)

• महीयते: is honored/glorified
• महीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग (passive sense: is honored)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (asthi-visarjana tīrtha)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Family performs asthi-visarjana at a Gaṅgā ghāṭa; a small urn is opened, bones offered to the flowing river; above, a subtle celestial court honors the departed.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Svarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Gaṅgā is presented as a powerful post-death purifier; contact of remains with her waters yields prolonged heavenly honor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā’s waters—implicitly the Gaṅgā tīrthas of Kāśī where such rites are traditionally performed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Asthi-related rites (commonly asthi-visarjana/immersion of bones or ashes) in Gaṅgā.