Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

गंगां समाश्रयेद्यस्तु स मुनिः स च पंडितः । कृतकृत्यः स विज्ञेयः पुरुषार्थचतुष्टये

Transliteration

gaṃgāṃ samāśrayedyastu sa muniḥ sa ca paṃḍitaḥ | kṛtakṛtyaḥ sa vijñeyaḥ puruṣārthacatuṣṭaye

Translation

ഗംഗയെ ശരണം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നവൻ തന്നെയാണ് മുനി, അവൻ തന്നെയാണ് പണ്ഡിതൻ; ചതുര്വിധ പുരുഷാർത്ഥങ്ങളിൽ കൃതകൃത്യനും സിദ്ധനും ആണെന്ന് അവനെ അറിയണം.

Word by Word

• गङ्गाम्: Ganga
• गङ्गाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• समाश्रयेत्: should resort to/take refuge in
• समाश्रयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + श्रि (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

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

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मुनिः: a sage
• मुनिः: Predicate nominative (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पण्डितः: a learned man
• पण्डितः: Predicate nominative (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पण्डित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कृतकृत्यः: one who has fulfilled his duties
• कृतकृत्यः: Predicate adjective (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + कृत्य (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (कृतं कृत्यं यस्य/कृतकृत्यः = accomplished)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विज्ञेयः: is to be known (as)
• विज्ञेयः: Predicate (vidhi/निर्देश)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + ज्ञा (धातु) + य (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-भावे कृदन्तः (gerundive/तव्यत्-अर्थ: ‘to be known/considered’)

• पुरुषार्थचतुष्टये: in the four aims of human life
• पुरुषार्थचतुष्टये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषार्थ + चतुष्टय (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुरुषार्थाणां चतुष्टये)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim with folded hands stands waist-deep in Gaṅgā, serene; above, subtle divine radiance suggests munihood; symbolic four puruṣārthas appear as balanced emblems around the figure.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Puruṣārtha (Dharma, Artha, Kāma, Mokṣa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Taking refuge in the Gaṅgā symbolizes complete alignment with dharma and liberation—making life ‘accomplished’ across all four human aims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā, revered as a complete spiritual refuge within Kāśī’s sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Samāśraya (taking refuge/resorting) to the Gaṅgā—primarily a devotional-spiritual commitment, often expressed through regular snāna and worship.