Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 36
गंगां गच्छति यस्त्वेको यस्तु भक्त्यानुमोदयेत् । तयोस्तुल्यफलं प्राहुर्भक्तिरेवात्र कारणम्
gaṃgāṃ gacchati yastveko yastu bhaktyānumodayet | tayostulyaphalaṃ prāhurbhaktirevātra kāraṇam
ഒരാൾ ഗംഗയിലേക്കു പോകുന്നു; മറ്റൊരാൾ (പോകാൻ കഴിയാതെ) ഭക്തിയോടെ അനുമോദിച്ച് സന്തോഷിക്കുന്നു—ഇരുവർക്കും തുല്യഫലം എന്നു പറയുന്നു; ഇവിടെ കാരണം ഭക്തി മാത്രമാണ്.
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha: Gaṅgā
Type: tirtha
Listener: Pārvatī or internal interlocutor (contextual)
Scene: Two devotees: one walking toward the Gaṅgā ghāṭa with staff and waterpot; another at home with folded hands, eyes moist with devotion, joyfully blessing the pilgrim. A subtle radiance links them, signifying equal fruit through bhakti.
FAQs
Devotion is paramount: sincere appreciative participation (anumodana) can match the merit of physically reaching the tīrtha.
Gaṅgā is the tīrtha in view; the verse also universalizes access to her merit through bhakti.
Anumodana—devoutly rejoicing in and endorsing Gaṅgā pilgrimage—is presented as a valid merit-bearing practice.