Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

जले द्युनद्या निष्पापे कथं तस्य परा गतिः । अपमृत्यु विपन्नस्य तदीश विनिवेद्यताम्

Transliteration

jale dyunadyā niṣpāpe kathaṃ tasya parā gatiḥ | apamṛtyu vipannasya tadīśa vinivedyatām

Translation

പാപനാശിനിയായ സ്വർഗ്ഗസരിതയുടെ ജലത്തിൽ (അവന്റെ അവശിഷ്ടം) ഇരിക്കുമ്പോൾ അവന്റെ പരമഗതി എങ്ങനെയാകും? അപമൃത്യുവാൽ നശിച്ചവന്റെ കാര്യവും—ഹേ ഈശ—വിശദീകരിക്കണമേ।

Word by Word

• जले: in water
• जले: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• द्युनद्या: by/with the heavenly river
• द्युनद्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्युनदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• निष्पापे: sinless/purifying
• निष्पापे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of जले)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• परा: supreme/highest
• परा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (of गति)

• गतिः: destination
• गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अपमृत्यु: untimely death
• अपमृत्यु: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप + मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अकाल-मृत्युः)

• विपन्नस्य: of one who has perished/met calamity
• विपन्नस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + पद् (धातु) → विपन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/न-प्रत्ययान्त), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; विशेषण

• तद्: that (matter)
• तद्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; here as object to be reported (द्वितीया)

• ईश: O Lord
• ईश: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• विनिवेद्यताम्: let it be reported/informed
• विनिवेद्यताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + नि + वेद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive imperative: let it be reported)

Speaker

Viṣṇu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (dyunadī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva (Īśa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A questioning divine assembly: Viṣṇu gestures toward the flowing Gaṅgā while asking about the fate of the wicked and those who died untimely; the river appears as a luminous purifier.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Dyunadī (Gaṅgā)
• Īśa (Śiva implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames a key Purāṇic theme: sacred geography (Gaṅgā) can alter outcomes, prompting inquiry into justice, grace, and karma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā as ‘dyunadī’ (the heavenly river), within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa tīrtha discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse asks for clarification regarding the fate of those connected to Gaṅgā waters, including victims of apamṛtyu.