Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

गंगास्नानार्थमुद्युक्तो मध्येमार्गं मृतो यदि । गंगास्नानफलं सोपि तदाप्नोति न संशयः

Transliteration

gaṃgāsnānārthamudyukto madhyemārgaṃ mṛto yadi | gaṃgāsnānaphalaṃ sopi tadāpnoti na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

ഗംഗാസ്നാനത്തിനായി പുറപ്പെട്ടവൻ വഴിമധ്യേ മരിച്ചാലും, അവനും ഗംഗാസ്നാനഫലം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു—ഇതിൽ സംശയമില്ല.

Word by Word

• गङ्गास्नानार्थम्: for the purpose of bathing in the Ganga
• गङ्गास्नानार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गङ्गायाः स्नानस्य अर्थः)

• उद्युक्तः: engaged/ready
• उद्युक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्युक्त (कृदन्त; √युज् (धातु) उपसर्ग-उद्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) — ‘engaged/ready’

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• मार्गम्: the path/way
• मार्गम्: Adhikarana (Path/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गत्यर्थे देश-निर्देशः (accusative of path)

• मृतः: dead
• मृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त; √मृ (धातु))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) — ‘dead’

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक-निपात (conditional particle)

• गङ्गास्नानफलम्: the fruit of bathing in the Ganga
• गङ्गास्नानफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गङ्गायाः स्नानस्य फलम्)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also/even)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• न: not/no
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Pratishedha (Negated-existence/प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वाक्ये ‘न संशयः’ इति नास्तित्वार्थे

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Kāśī-Gaṅgā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim sets out with water-pot and staff, eyes fixed on the imagined Gaṅgā; he collapses on the road while celestial beings (or Gaṅgā’s grace) acknowledge his saṅkalpa; distant vision of Kāśī ghāṭas and flowing river appears as a luminous promise.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere intention (saṅkalpa) toward a sacred act carries spiritual efficacy, even if the act is interrupted by death.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā tīrtha, approached as a pilgrimage destination within the Kāśī framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertaking pilgrimage for Gaṅgā-snāna; the verse highlights the merit of the vow/intention itself.