Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4
Devanagari script
यद्यस्तिकिंचित्षड्वक्त्र गंगास्नानफलप्रदम् । विधानांतरमात्रेण तद्वद प्रणताय मे
Transliteration
yadyastikiṃcitṣaḍvaktra gaṃgāsnānaphalapradam | vidhānāṃtaramātreṇa tadvada praṇatāya me
Translation
六面の主（シャドヴァクトラ）よ、もし別の方法のみでガンガー沐浴の果を授ける行があるなら、あなたに礼拝するこの私にお告げください。
Word by Word
यदिif
यदि:
Sambandha (Condition)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयदि (अव्यय)
Formशर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional particle ‘if’)
अस्तिthere is
अस्ति:
Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√अस् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
किञ्चित्something
किञ्चित्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकिञ्चित् (सर्वनाम/अव्ययवत्)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)
षड्वक्त्रO Six-faced one (Skanda)
षड्वक्त्र:
Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootषट् + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; (षड्वक्त्र = ‘six-faced’, स्कन्द-सम्बोधन)
गङ्गाGanga
गङ्गा:
Qualifier
TypeNoun
Rootगङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद
स्नानbathing
स्नान:
Qualifier
TypeNoun
Root√स्ना (धातु) + ल्युट् → स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद
फलfruit/result
फल:
Qualifier
TypeNoun
Rootफल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद
प्रदम्bestowing (that fruit)
प्रदम्:
Karta (Predicate nominal)
TypeAdjective
Rootप्रद (प्रातिपदिक; √दा (धातु) with प्र-; कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (gaṃgā-snāna-phala-pradam = ‘giving the fruit of Ganga-bathing’)
विधानprocedure/rite
विधान:
Qualifier
TypeNoun
Rootविधान (प्रातिपदिक; √धा (धातु) with वि-)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद
अन्तरalternative
अन्तर:
Qualifier
TypeAdjective
Rootअन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (meaning ‘other/alternative’)
मात्रेणby mere (means)
मात्रेण:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootमात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; (विधान-अन्तर-मात्रेण = ‘by mere alternative procedure’)
तद्वदlikewise
तद्वद:
Sambandha (Manner)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतद्वत् (अव्यय/तद्धित)
Formतुल्यताबोधक अव्यय (adverb ‘likewise/in that manner’)
प्रणतायto (me) who is bowed
प्रणताय:
Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
TypeAdjective
Rootप्रणत (कृदन्त; प्र-√नम् (धातु) + क्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; (प्रणत = ‘bowed/submissive’)
मेmy / to me (contextual)
मे:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
Formषष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (enclitic)
Speaker
Agastya
Tirtha Mahatmya
Tirtha: Gaṅgā (benchmark)
Type: river
Skanda Dialogue
Listener: Skanda (Ṣaḍvaktra)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A devotee bows low before six-faced Skanda, hands joined, asking for an alternative rite that equals Gaṅgā bathing.
Characters & Entities
A
AgastyaṢ
Ṣaḍvaktra (Skanda)G
GaṅgāFAQs
Humble inquiry and devotion seek a dharmic, accessible substitute for a great pilgrimage act.
The Gaṅgā, whose bathing-fruit is treated as the gold standard of tīrtha merit.
A request for an alternative vidhāna (procedure) that yields the same fruit as Gaṅgā-snānā.