Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

अनुषंगेण मौल्येन वाणिज्येनापि सेवया । कामासक्तोपि वा मर्त्यो गंगास्नातो दिवं व्रजेत्

Transliteration

anuṣaṃgeṇa maulyena vāṇijyenāpi sevayā | kāmāsaktopi vā martyo gaṃgāsnāto divaṃ vrajet

Translation

അനുഷംഗമായി, മൂല്യം നൽകി, വ്യാപാരത്താൽ അല്ലെങ്കിൽ സേവയാൽ—കാമാസക്തനായ മർത്ത്യനും ഗംഗാസ്നാനം ചെയ്താൽ സ്വർഗ്ഗം പ്രാപിക്കാം।

Word by Word

• anuṣaṅgeṇa: by association/connection
• anuṣaṅgeṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anuṣaṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; अर्थे—‘संबन्ध/संगतिः’

• maulyena: by payment/price
• maulyena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maulya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• vāṇijyena: by trade
• vāṇijyena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāṇijya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

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

• sevayā: by service
• sevayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sevā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• kāma-āsaktaḥ: attached to desire
• kāma-āsaktaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + āsakta (सञ्ज्/सज् धातु, क्त; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘martyaḥ’

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

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

• martyaḥ: a mortal
• martyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: martya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• gaṅgā-snātaḥ: bathed in the Ganga
• gaṅgā-snātaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक) + snāta (स्ना धातु, क्त; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘martyaḥ’

• divam: heaven
• divam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: div (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• vrajet: may go/attain
• vrajet: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vraj (व्रज् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bustling Kāśī ghat with merchants, boatmen, servants, and pilgrims—some worldly-minded—yet all entering Gaṅgā’s waters; above, a subtle divine radiance indicates svarga-mārga opening.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Gaṅgā’s sanctity is so great that even imperfectly motivated contact with her bathing can yield exalted merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā tīrtha (especially as encountered in Kāśī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gaṅgā-snāna (ritual bathing in the Gaṅgā), with the note that it may occur even incidentally or through worldly circumstances.