Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

ध्यानं कृते मोक्षहेतुस्त्रेतायां तच्च वै तपः । द्वापरे तद्द्वयं यज्ञाः कलौ गंगैव केवलम्

Transliteration

dhyānaṃ kṛte mokṣahetustretāyāṃ tacca vai tapaḥ | dvāpare taddvayaṃ yajñāḥ kalau gaṃgaiva kevalam

Translation

കൃതയുഗത്തിൽ ധ്യാനം മോക്ഷഹേതു; ത്രേതായുഗത്തിൽ അതേ തപസ്സാൽ സിദ്ധമാകുന്നു. ദ്വാപരത്തിൽ രണ്ടും യജ്ഞരൂപത്തിൽ ഫലിക്കുന്നു; കലിയുഗത്തിൽ ഗംഗ മാത്രം മോക്ഷോപായം.

Word by Word

• ध्यानम्: meditation
• ध्यानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• कृते: in the Kṛta (age)
• कृते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कालवाचक-सप्तमी

• मोक्षहेतुः: cause of liberation
• मोक्षहेतुः: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मोक्षस्य हेतुः)

• त्रेतायाम्: in Tretā (age)
• त्रेतायाम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रेता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कालवाचक-सप्तमी

• तत्: that (i.e., meditation)
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; अन्वयः—ध्यानम् इत्यस्य निर्देशः

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate)

• द्वापरे: in Dvāpara (age)
• द्वापरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कालवाचक-सप्तमी

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; निर्देशः—पूर्वोक्तयोः (ध्यान-तपः)

• द्वयम्: the pair (both)
• द्वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-नाम (a pair)

• यज्ञाः: sacrifices
• यज्ञाः: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विधेय (predicate)

• कलौ: in Kali (age)
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कालवाचक-सप्तमी

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

• एव: alone
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात

• केवलम्: only
• केवलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa often Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience within Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s dialogue frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Four spiritual disciplines depicted as yuga emblems: Kṛta—sage in deep meditation; Tretā—ascetic in tapas; Dvāpara—yajña with fire and offerings; Kali—pilgrims bathing in Gaṅgā with hands raised in prayer, the river shining like liquid light.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Mokṣa
• Kṛta-yuga
• Tretā-yuga
• Dvāpara-yuga
• Kali-yuga
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse teaches yuga-appropriate sādhanā: in Kali-yuga, Gaṅgā is praised as the most effective support for liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā is exalted as the decisive tīrtha/sādhana for Kali-yuga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, Gaṅgā-centered practice (snāna, sevā, remembrance) is recommended as Kali-yuga’s principal means.