Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

गंगा सर्वसरिद्योनिः समुद्रस्यापि पूरणी । गंगाया न लभेत्साम्यं काचिदत्र सरिद्वरा

Transliteration

gaṃgā sarvasaridyoniḥ samudrasyāpi pūraṇī | gaṃgāyā na labhetsāmyaṃ kācidatra saridvarā

Translation

ガンガーはあらゆる河川の母胎なる源であり、海さえも満たす者である。この世において、いかなる勝れた川もガンガーに等しいものはない。

Word by Word

• गङ्गा: Gaṅgā
• गङ्गा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वसरिद्योनिः: the source of all rivers
• सर्वसरिद्योनिः: Samanaadhikarana (Predicate nominal/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + सरित् + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); (सर्वासां सरितां योनि:)

• समुद्रस्य: of the ocean
• समुद्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अपि-अर्थ (also/even)

• पूरणी: the fulfiller/filler
• पूरणी: Samanaadhikarana (Predicate nominal/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूरणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); कर्तरि-नाम (agent noun)

• गङ्गायाः: of Gaṅgā
• गङ्गायाः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• लभेत्: would obtain/find
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• साम्यम्: equality/likeness
• साम्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• काचित्: any (one)
• काचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); अनिश्चित-प्रत्यय (indefinite pronoun)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• सरिद्वरा: a best river
• सरिद्वरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); (सरितां वरा)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Munayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṅgā as radiant river goddess emerging from Śiva’s matted locks, flowing toward Kāśī ghāṭas; other rivers shown as tributary-like attendants, emphasizing her ‘sarid-yoni’ status.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Ocean (samudra)
• Rivers

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Among sacred waters, Gaṅgā is proclaimed uniquely supreme—an archetype of purification and sacred potency.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The river Gaṅgā herself is glorified as the unequalled ‘best river’ in the world.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the verse is a eulogy (māhātmya) establishing Gaṅgā’s unrivalled status.