Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

लोलार्के रथसप्तम्यां स्नात्वा गंगासिसंगमे । सप्तजन्मकृतैः पापैर्मुक्तो भवति तत्क्षणात्

Transliteration

lolārke rathasaptamyāṃ snātvā gaṃgāsisaṃgame | saptajanmakṛtaiḥ pāpairmukto bhavati tatkṣaṇāt

Translation

രഥസപ്തമിദിനത്തിൽ ഗംഗാ–അസി സംഗമത്തിലെ ലോലാർകത്തിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്താൽ ഏഴ് ജന്മങ്ങളിലെ പാപങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് തത്സമയം മോചിതനാകും.

Word by Word

• लोलार्के: at Lolārka
• लोलार्के: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोलार्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• रथसप्तम्याम्: on Rathasaptamī (the chariot-seventh day)
• रथसप्तम्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक) + सप्तमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘रथ’ (Sun’s chariot) + ‘सप्तमी’ (7th lunar day) → festival-name; Locative of time

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• गंगासिसंगमे: at the confluence of Gaṅgā and Asī
• गंगासिसंगमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + असि (प्रातिपदिक) + संगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; गङ्गा च असि(नदी) च तयोः संगमः; Locative of place

• सप्तजन्मकृतैः: done over seven births
• सप्तजन्मकृतैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृ-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; ‘सप्तजन्मसु कृतैः’ इति सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष; qualifies पापैः

• पापैः: from sins
• पापैः: Apadana (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; instrumental of separation with मुक्ति

• मुक्तः: freed, released
• मुक्तः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-प्रायः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्त (मुच्-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भावे; predicate adjective

• भवति: becomes, is
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तत्क्षणात्: immediately
• तत्क्षणात्: Kaaladhikarana (Time adverb/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्यय (immediately/from that moment)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lolārka (Gaṅgā–Asī saṅgama)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ratha-saptamī sunrise: devotees in the confluence waters offering arghya; Sūrya’s chariot (seven horses) depicted in the sky; ghāṭa steps with lamps and red flowers; a sense of immediate cleansing and uplift.

Characters & Entities

• Lolārka
• Gaṅgā
• Asi
• Ratha-saptamī
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right place and right sacred time (tīrtha + tithi) can bring swift purification, underscoring faith and disciplined pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Lolārka at the Gaṅgā–Asi saṅgama in Vārāṇasī (Kāśī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) on Ratha-saptamī at the Gaṅgā–Asi confluence associated with Lolārka.