Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

यो गंगांभसि निस्नातो भक्त्या संत्यक्तसंशयः । मनुष्यचर्मणा नद्धः स देवो नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

yo gaṃgāṃbhasi nisnāto bhaktyā saṃtyaktasaṃśayaḥ | manuṣyacarmaṇā naddhaḥ sa devo nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

ഭക്തിയോടെ സംശയം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച് ഗംഗാജലത്തിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ, മനുഷ്യചർമ്മം ധരിച്ചിരുന്നാലും ദേവൻ തന്നേ; ഇതിൽ സംശയമില്ല।

Word by Word

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• gaṅgā-ambhasi: in the waters of the Ganga
• gaṅgā-ambhasi: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक) + ambhas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• nisnātaḥ: bathed
• nisnātaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni + snā (स्ना धातु, क्त; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘yaḥ’

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• saṃtyakta-saṃśayaḥ: having abandoned doubt
• saṃtyakta-saṃśayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + tyakta (त्यज् धातु, क्त; कृदन्त) + saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘yaḥ’

• manuṣya-carmaṇā: with human skin
• manuṣya-carmaṇā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manuṣya (प्रातिपदिक) + carman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• naddhaḥ: bound/clad
• naddhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nah (नह् धातु, क्त; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘saḥ’

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; निर्देशक (demonstrative pronoun)

• devaḥ: a god/divine being
• devaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

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

• atra: here/in this matter
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; ‘न’ इत्यनेन निषेधः

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee emerges from Gaṅgā with folded hands; a subtle divine aura and celestial attributes (light, garland, radiance) appear while the body remains human—‘manuṣya-carmaṇā naddhaḥ’ yet deva-like.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti-filled Gaṅgā-snāna, free from doubt, elevates a person to divine status in spiritual worth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā’s waters as the sanctifying tīrtha, especially revered in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing in Gaṅgā with devotion and firm faith (absence of doubt).