Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

यथा गंगावगाहेन शरीरं पावनं भवेत् । तथा पतिव्रतां दृष्ट्वा सदनं पावनं भवेत्

Transliteration

yathā gaṃgāvagāhena śarīraṃ pāvanaṃ bhavet | tathā pativratāṃ dṛṣṭvā sadanaṃ pāvanaṃ bhavet

Translation

ഗംഗയിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്താൽ ശരീരം ശുദ്ധമാകുന്നതുപോലെ, പതിവ്രതയെ ദർശിച്ചാൽ മാത്രം വീടും ശുദ്ധമാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (correlative adverb: as)

• गङ्गावगाहेन: by bathing/immersion in the Ganga
• गङ्गावगाहेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा-अवगाह (प्रातिपदिक; गङ्गा + अवगाह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• शरीरम्: body
• शरीरम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पावनम्: purified; purifying/holy
• पावनम्: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् शरीरस्य

• भवेत्: would become; may become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• तथा: so; likewise
• तथा: Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तदनुरूपवाचक-अव्यय (correlative adverb: so)

• पतिव्रताम्: a devoted wife
• पतिव्रताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति-व्रता (प्रातिपदिक; पति + व्रता)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• सदनम्: house; dwelling
• सदनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पावनम्: purified; holy
• पावनम्: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् सदनस्य

• भवेत्: would become; may become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Unknown (contextual narrator within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa; likely a Purāṇic teacher-voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Parallel imagery: a pilgrim bathing in the Gaṅgā on one side; on the other, a humble home becomes luminous as a pativratā is seen at the threshold, suggesting ‘living tīrtha’.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity is not only ritual (Gaṅgā-bath) but also ethical-spiritual; darśana of a virtuous person sanctifies space.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā is directly referenced as the paradigmatic tīrtha of purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gaṅgā-avagāha (bathing/immersion in the Ganges) is referenced as a purifying act.