Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

त्यक्त्वा संसारमार्गं तु स्वर्गमार्गजिगीषवः । गंगानिषेवणं कृत्वा स्फोटयित्वाऽत्मजं मलम्

Transliteration

tyaktvā saṃsāramārgaṃ tu svargamārgajigīṣavaḥ | gaṃgāniṣevaṇaṃ kṛtvā sphoṭayitvā'tmajaṃ malam

Translation

Renonçant à la voie du saṃsāra et aspirant à gagner le chemin du ciel, ils se vouèrent au service de la Gaṅgā, rejetant l’impureté née du moi.

Word by Word

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• संसारमार्गम्: the path of worldly existence
• संसारमार्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः: संसारस्य मार्गः

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयबोधक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• स्वर्गमार्गजिगीषवः: those eager to attain the heavenly path
• स्वर्गमार्गजिगीषवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्गमार्ग + जिगीषु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; समासः: स्वर्गमार्गं जिगीषवः (desirous of conquering/attaining the path to heaven)

• गङ्गानिषेवणम्: attendance upon the Ganges
• गङ्गानिषेवणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा + निषेवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः: गङ्गायाः निषेवणम् (service/attendance of Gaṅgā)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• स्फोटयित्वा: having burst/expelled
• स्फोटयित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्फोटय् (धातु; causative of स्फुट्/स्फोट्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• आत्मजम्: one's own
• आत्मजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः: आत्मनः जातम् (born of oneself)

• मलम्: impurity
• मलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (Prabhāsa-maṇḍala)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of renunciant pilgrims turn away from a bustling worldly road toward a luminous riverbank; they perform reverent Gaṅgā-sevā, symbolically shedding dark impurities that dissolve into the water’s radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Detachment joined with sacred practice purifies the inner being; holy waters symbolize and support moral-spiritual cleansing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā is central as the purifying tirtha; the surrounding story belongs to Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya in Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gaṅgā-niṣevaṇa—reverent resort to Gaṅgā (commonly including snāna/ablution and devotional observance).