Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

संसारमोचकश्चाहं जनानामनुकंपया । गंगातरंगरूपेण सोपानं निर्ममे दिवः

Transliteration

saṃsāramocakaścāhaṃ janānāmanukaṃpayā | gaṃgātaraṃgarūpeṇa sopānaṃ nirmame divaḥ

Translation

ജീവികളോടുള്ള അനുകമ്പകൊണ്ട് ഞാൻ സംസാരമോചകനായി; ഗംഗയുടെ തരംഗരൂപത്തിൽ സ്വർഗത്തിലേക്കുള്ള സോപാനം നിർമ്മിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• संसारमोचकः: liberator from saṃsāra
• संसारमोचकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार-मोचक (प्रातिपदिक; संसार + मोचक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• जनानाम्: of people
• जनानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• अनुकम्पया: with compassion
• अनुकम्पया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुकम्पा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• गङ्गातरङ्गरूपेण: in the form of Ganga’s waves
• गङ्गातरङ्गरूपेण: Karana (Means/form/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा-तरङ्ग-रूप (प्रातिपदिक; गङ्गा + तरङ्ग + रूप)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; प्रकारवाचक-तृतीया (in the form of)

• सोपानम्: a stairway, steps
• सोपानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोपान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• निर्ममे: made, fashioned
• निर्ममे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मा (धातु) (माने/मिमीत इति; here ‘to make/measure out’) + निर् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचन

• दिवः: of heaven
• दिवः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्/द्यौस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे (द्यौः), षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Jāhnavī) in Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-seeking interlocutor(s) within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṅgā’s waves rise like luminous steps; above them a faint celestial pathway opens, suggesting ascent to svarga; devotees stand at the water’s edge in awe.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Svarga (Heaven)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Gaṅgā is portrayed as a compassionate divine means for liberation, elevating beings beyond worldly bondage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā, especially in her Kāśī context, as a saving and elevating tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, reverent approach to the Gaṅgā—her waves themselves are praised as salvific; bathing and devotional contact are suggested by the imagery.