Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

गंगाऽपि देवदेवस्य चरणांगुष्ठवाहिनी । पापघ्नी सा सदा प्रोक्ता चातुर्मास्ये विशेषतः

Transliteration

gaṃgā'pi devadevasya caraṇāṃguṣṭhavāhinī | pāpaghnī sā sadā proktā cāturmāsye viśeṣataḥ

Translation

La Gaṅgā aussi est le courant issu du gros orteil du Seigneur des seigneurs ; on la proclame sans cesse destructrice des péchés, surtout durant Cāturmāsya.

Word by Word

• गंगा: Gaṅgā
• गंगा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थ (also/even)

• देवदेवस्य: of the God of gods
• देवदेवस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-देव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (देवानां देवः)

• चरणांगुष्ठवाहिनी: flowing from the big toe of (his) foot
• चरणांगुष्ठवाहिनी: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चरण-अङ्गुष्ठ-वाहिनी (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (चरणस्य अङ्गुष्ठः; तस्य वाहिनी)

• पापघ्नी: sin-destroying
• पापघ्नी: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप-घ्नि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (पापं हन्ति इति)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• प्रोक्ता: is declared/called
• प्रोक्ता: Kriya (Predicative participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘कथिता’

• चातुर्मास्ये: in Cāturmāsya
• चातुर्मास्ये: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (adverb)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Cosmic tableau: Viṣṇu as Devadeva reclining, from whose great toe a radiant stream emerges as Gaṅgā, descending through luminous realms; below, devotees bathe during monsoon months (Cāturmāsya).

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Devadeva
• Cāturmāsya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sanctity of Gaṅgā is grounded in divine origin and is emphasized as exceptionally potent in sacred seasons.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā river as a supreme tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly encourages Gaṅgā-related purification (snāna/ācamana/smaraṇa), highlighted for Cāturmāsya.