Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 30
नराणामल्पबुद्धीनामेनो विक्षिप्तचेतसाम् । गंगेव परमं विष्णो भेषजं भवरोगिणाम्
narāṇāmalpabuddhīnāmeno vikṣiptacetasām | gaṃgeva paramaṃ viṣṇo bheṣajaṃ bhavarogiṇām
Wahai Viṣṇu, bagi manusia yang budinya kecil—yang batinnya tercerai-berai oleh dosa—Gangā sajalah obat tertinggi bagi mereka yang sakit oleh roga-bhava (penyakit samsara).
Skanda (deduced; vocative address to Viṣṇu occurs within narration)
Tirtha: Gaṅgā
Type: river
Listener: null
Scene: Ailing beings afflicted by a dark haze labeled ‘bhava-roga’ approach the bright Gaṅgā; the river’s touch dispels the haze like medicine, while Viṣṇu/Hari is invoked as witness.
FAQs
Gaṅgā is praised as a powerful purifier and healer of the saṃsāric condition, especially for those weakened by sin and mental restlessness.
Gaṅgā as the central tīrtha, framed within Kāśī’s sacred landscape in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa.
Implicit reliance on Gaṅgā as a remedy—typically through tīrtha-sevā such as स्नान (bathing), आचमन (sipping), and devotion—though not spelled out here.