Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

पापतापाभितप्तानां भूतानामिह जाह्ववी । पापतापहरा यद्वद्गंगा नान्यत्तथा कलौ

Transliteration

pāpatāpābhitaptānāṃ bhūtānāmiha jāhvavī | pāpatāpaharā yadvadgaṃgā nānyattathā kalau

Translation

Pour les êtres ici consumés par la brûlure du péché, Jāhnavī est celle qui ôte la souffrance du péché ; en l’âge de Kali, rien n’est comparable à la Gaṅgā.

Word by Word

• पापतापाभितप्तानाम्: of those afflicted by the heat of sin
• पापतापाभितप्तानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + ताप (प्रातिपदिक) + अभि-तप्त (तप् धातु, क्त)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषणम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘अभितप्त’; समासः—पापताप (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/निर्देश), तेन अभितप्त (तृतीया-तत्पुरुषभाव)

• भूतानाम्: of beings
• भूतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन (Plural)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• जाह्ववी: Jāhnavī (the Ganga)
• जाह्ववी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाह्ववी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)

• पापतापहरा: remover of the heat of sin
• पापतापहरा: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + ताप (प्रातिपदिक) + हर (हृ धातु, अण्/ण्वुलादि-कर्तरि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम्; समासः—पापताप (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + हरा (कर्तृवाचक)

• यद्वत्: just as
• यद्वत्: Sambandha (Comparative marker/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद्वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक (comparative particle: ‘just as’)

• गङ्गा: Ganga
• गङ्गा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• अन्यत्: anything else
• अन्यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); ‘अन्यत्’ (other thing)

• तथा: in that way
• तथा: Kriya-vishesana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb: ‘thus/so’)

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Jāhnavī/Bhāgīrathī) in Kāśī

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee scorched by the ‘heat’ of sin approaches the luminous Gaṅgā; her cool waters and radiance dispel the fiery aura around him, symbolizing papa-tapa-haraṇa in Kali-yuga.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Jāhnavī
• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, Gaṅgā is presented as an unmatched means of relief from sin and suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jāhnavī/Gaṅgā as the supreme tīrtha, with the Kāśī milieu implied.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific act is listed; the verse broadly recommends reliance upon Gaṅgā for purification in Kali-yuga.