Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

तत्त्वज्ञानाद्यथा मोहः सिंहं दृष्ट्वा यथा मृगाः । तथा सर्वाणि पापानि यांति गंगेक्षणात्क्षयम्

Transliteration

tattvajñānādyathā mohaḥ siṃhaṃ dṛṣṭvā yathā mṛgāḥ | tathā sarvāṇi pāpāni yāṃti gaṃgekṣaṇātkṣayam

Translation

തത്ത്വജ്ഞാനത്താൽ മോഹം എങ്ങനെ ക്ഷയിക്കുന്നുവോ, സിംഹത്തെ കണ്ടാൽ മൃഗങ്ങൾ എങ്ങനെ ചിതറിപ്പോകുന്നുവോ—അങ്ങനെ ഗംഗാദർശനമാത്രത്തിൽ തന്നെ സർവ്വപാപങ്ങളും നശിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तत्त्वज्ञानात्: from knowledge of reality
• तत्त्वज्ञानात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘तत्त्वस्य ज्ञानम्’

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Comparative connector (उपमा-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा/प्रकार-वाचक

• मोहः: delusion
• मोहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सिंहम्: a lion
• सिंहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): ‘having seen’

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Comparative connector (उपमा-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा/प्रकार-वाचक

• मृगाः: deer
• मृगाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तथा: so, likewise
• तथा: Comparative connector (उपमा-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तद्वत्-अर्थक (so/in the same way)

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पापानि: sins, evils
• पापानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• यान्ति: go, proceed
• यान्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural); परस्मैपद

• गङ्गेक्षणात्: from seeing the Ganga
• गङ्गेक्षणात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘गङ्गायाः ईक्षणम्’

• क्षयम्: destruction, cessation
• क्षयम्: Gati/Karma (Goal/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Kāśī)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at dawn on a Kāśī ghāṭa gazes upon Gaṅgā; behind him, shadowy forms labeled as sins dissolve like mist; above, a symbolic ‘lion of dharma’ and a radiant ‘tattva-jñāna’ light beam converge on the river’s surface.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Gaṅgā-darśana is extolled as a direct purifier: just as knowledge ends delusion, the vision of Gaṅgā ends pāpa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā at Kāśī—presented as a liberating sight (darśana) with immediate spiritual effect.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (reverent beholding) of Gaṅgā is the implied practice; no further rite is specified in the verse.