Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

अवाक्छिराः प्रलंबेद्यः शतसंवत्सरान्नरः । भीष्मसूवालुकातल्पशयस्तस्माद्वरो हरे

Transliteration

avākchirāḥ pralaṃbedyaḥ śatasaṃvatsarānnaraḥ | bhīṣmasūvālukātalpaśayastasmādvaro hare

Translation

Quand bien même un homme resterait suspendu la tête en bas durant cent ans, ou coucherait sur un lit terrible de sable, plus haute que cette austérité, ô Hara, est la grâce de la sainte Gaṅgā.

Word by Word

• अवाक्: downwards
• अवाक्: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अवाक् (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्)
• Form: दिशावाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘downwards’)

• शिराः: head
• शिराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अवाक् इत्यनेन सह क्रियाविशेषणभाव (head down)

• प्रलम्बेत्: should hang (down)
• प्रलम्बेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लम्ब् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), तृतीयपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक

• शतसंवत्सरान्: for a hundred years
• शतसंवत्सरान्: Karma (Extent/measure as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत + संवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (numerical compound): शतं संवत्सराः; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (कालपरिमाण)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भीष्मसूवालुकातल्पशयः: one who lies on a bed of scorching sand
• भीष्मसूवालुकातल्पशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म + सू + वालुका + तल्प + शय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (determinative chain): भीष्मं सूयते/सह्यते इति (भीष्मसू) + वालुकातल्पे शयः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: than that, from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Ablative/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• वरः: better, superior
• वरः: Pradhana-visheshana (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• हरे: O Hari
• हरे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (as superior ‘vara’ to tapas)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Hara (Śiva) addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dramatic ascetic scenes—one hanging upside down from a tree/cliff; another lying on a harsh sandy bed—juxtaposed with tranquil Gaṅgā flow and Śiva’s compassionate gaze, implying Gaṅgā’s superior boon.

Characters & Entities

• Hara (Śiva)
• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa elevates Gaṅgā’s sanctity above harsh bodily mortifications, highlighting compassionate purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā-tīrtha, within the Kāśī-centered praise of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; examples of severe tapas are used as contrasts to Gaṅgā’s superior merit.