Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

खंडस्फुटितसंस्कारं गंगातीरे करोति यः । मम लोके चिरं कालं तस्याक्षय सुखं हरे

Transliteration

khaṃḍasphuṭitasaṃskāraṃ gaṃgātīre karoti yaḥ | mama loke ciraṃ kālaṃ tasyākṣaya sukhaṃ hare

Translation

ഹേ ഹരേ! ഗംഗാതീരത്ത് ഭംഗപ്പെട്ടതോ അപൂർണ്ണമോ ആയ സംസ്കാരവും ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ, എന്റെ ലോകത്തിൽ ദീർഘകാലം അക്ഷയസുഖം അനുഭവിക്കും.

Word by Word

• खण्डस्फुटितसंस्कारम्: the rites (saṃskāra) broken into pieces / interrupted
• खण्डस्फुटितसंस्कारम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खण्ड + स्फुटित + संस्कार (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (खण्डैः स्फुटितः संस्कारः)

• गङ्गातीरे: on the bank of the Ganga
• गङ्गातीरे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा + तीर (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (गङ्गायाः तीरे)

• करोति: does / performs
• करोति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• लोके: in the world (realm)
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• चिरम्: for long
• चिरम्: Kala (Temporal adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (for a long time)

• कालम्: time (duration)
• कालम्: Kala (Duration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कालावधि-अर्थे (accusative of duration)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अक्षयम्: imperishable
• अक्षयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सुखम्)

• सुखम्: happiness
• सुखम्: Karma (Object/Result)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• हरे: O Hari
• हरे: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; address to Hari within narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā-tīra (Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a Gaṅgā ghāṭ, a householder performs a partially interrupted rite—broken ritual items, wind-tossed offerings—yet divine light rises from the riverbank, signifying acceptance and imperishable reward in ‘my world’.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Hari (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rites done at Gaṅgā’s bank carry amplified merit; even imperfect performance becomes spiritually fruitful by the tīrtha’s power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā-tīra (the riverbank of Gaṅgā) within the Kāśī setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing saṃskāras (life-cycle rites/ritual acts) at the Gaṅgā bank; the verse highlights location-based sanctifying power.