Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

अत्रामृतस्रवा गंगा महामोहांधकारहृत् । अनेकजन्मजनित जाड्यध्वंसविधायिनी

Transliteration

atrāmṛtasravā gaṃgā mahāmohāṃdhakārahṛt | anekajanmajanita jāḍyadhvaṃsavidhāyinī

Translation

यहाँ गंगा अमृतधारा-सी बहती है; वह महामोह के घोर अंधकार को हरती है और अनेक जन्मों से उत्पन्न जड़ता का नाश करती है।

Word by Word

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) — Indeclinable adverb of place

• अमृतस्रवा: nectar-flowing
• अमृतस्रवा: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: amṛta + sravā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: अमृत-स्रवा (कर्मधारय: ‘nectar-flowing’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• गङ्गा: Gaṅgā
• गङ्गा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• महामोहान्धकारहृत्: remover of the darkness of great delusion
• महामोहान्धकारहृत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + moha + andhakāra + hṛt (प्रातिपदिक; from √hṛ ‘to take away’)
• Form: समास: महा-मोह-अन्धकार-हृत् (तत्पुरुष: ‘remover of the darkness of great delusion’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular (agreeing with गङ्गा)

• अनेकजन्मजनित: arisen from many births
• अनेकजन्मजनित: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aneka + janma + janita (कृदन्त from √jan ‘to be born’ + ita)
• Form: समास: अनेक-जन्म-जनित (तत्पुरुष: ‘born of many births’); (स्त्रीलिङ्गे) प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular (qualifying next feminine)

• जाड्यध्वंसविधायिनी: causing the destruction of dullness/insensibility
• जाड्यध्वंसविधायिनी: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jāḍya + dhvaṃsa + vidhāyinī (प्रातिपदिक; from √dhā ‘to place/do’ with ṇinī)
• Form: समास: जाड्य-ध्वंस-विधायिनी (तत्पुरुष: ‘effecting the destruction of dullness’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular (agreeing with गङ्गा)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśī Khaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Kāśī segment)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṅgā as a radiant, nectar-like stream flowing through Kāśī; darkness (moha) depicted as dissipating mist; pilgrims’ faces brighten as dullness breaks; subtle light emanates from the water.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Amṛta (nectar)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Gaṅgā is portrayed as a liberating power that removes delusion and long-standing spiritual inertia.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā as encountered at this Kāśī tīrtha-setting (in the Kedārakuṇḍa/Gaurītīrtha milieu of Adhyāya 27).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, tīrtha-sevā through approach and snāna in Gaṅgā, praised for inner purification.