Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2
अशक्तानां च पंगूनामालस्योपहतात्मनाम् । दूरदेशांतरस्थानां गंगास्नानं कथं भवेत्
aśaktānāṃ ca paṃgūnāmālasyopahatātmanām | dūradeśāṃtarasthānāṃ gaṃgāsnānaṃ kathaṃ bhavet
जो असमर्थ हैं, जो लँगड़े हैं, जिनका संकल्प आलस्य से क्षीण हो गया है, और जो दूर देश-देशांतर में रहते हैं—उनके लिए गंगा-स्नान कैसे संभव हो?
Agastya
Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Kāśī-sannidhau implied)
Type: river
Scene: A weary pilgrim—lame or aged—stands far from the Gaṅgā, hands folded, gazing toward an imagined river; the question of access becomes the emotional center.
FAQs
Dharma must account for human limitation; the verse motivates teachings on alternative, accessible paths to sacred merit.
The Gaṅgā, presented as the desired tīrtha that many cannot physically reach.
Gaṅgā-snānā is the benchmark practice; the verse asks how it applies to those unable to travel or perform it.