Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

यज्ञ दान तपो योग जपाः सनियमा यमाः । गंगासेवासहस्रांशं न लभंते कलौ हरे

Transliteration

yajña dāna tapo yoga japāḥ saniyamā yamāḥ | gaṃgāsevāsahasrāṃśaṃ na labhaṃte kalau hare

Translation

യജ്ഞം, ദാനം, തപസ്, യോഗം, ജപം, നിയമങ്ങൾ, യമങ്ങൾ—ഹേ ഹരേ, കലിയുഗത്തിൽ ഇവയ്ക്ക് ഗംഗാസേവാപുണ്യത്തിന്റെ ആയിരത്തിലൊന്നും ലഭിക്കുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• यज्ञ: sacrifice
• यज्ञ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (समाहार-गणना/सूची)

• दान: gift, charity
• दान: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (सूची)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• योग: yoga
• योग: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• जपाः: chants, repetitions
• जपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सनियमाः: observances with restraints (niyamas)
• सनियमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स-नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष/उपपद (स + नियम)

• यमाः: restraints (yamas)
• यमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• गङ्गासेवा: service to Gaṅgā
• गङ्गासेवा: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा + सेवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग); समासः—तत्पुरुष (गङ्गायाः सेवा)

• सहस्रांशम्: a thousandth part
• सहस्रांशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्रांश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सहस्र + अंश)

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

• लभन्ते: they obtain
• लभन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; धातुः—लभ् (भ्वादि)

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

• हरे: O Hari
• हरे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa often Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A comparative tableau: on one side, elaborate yajña with priests and fires; on another, ascetics in tapas and yogic postures; centrally, a humble devotee serving Gaṅgā—cleaning steps, offering a lamp—radiating a vastly larger aura of merit in Kali-yuga.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Hari
• Yajña
• Dāna
• Tapaḥ
• Yoga
• Japa
• Yama
• Niyama
• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, Gaṅgā-sevā is exalted as extraordinarily fruitful, surpassing many classical disciplines in accessible merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā is glorified specifically through the practice of gaṅgā-sevā (service to the river and her sacred banks).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gaṅgā-sevā is explicitly praised as the recommended practice; other disciplines are listed for comparison.