Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

यदा भागीरथी गंगा तत्र प्राप्ता सरिद्वरा । तदारभ्यार्चयेन्नित्यं तल्लिंगं स्वर्धुनी मुदा

Transliteration

yadā bhāgīrathī gaṃgā tatra prāptā saridvarā | tadārabhyārcayennityaṃ talliṃgaṃ svardhunī mudā

Translation

നദിശ്രേഷ്ഠയായ ഭാഗീരഥീ ഗംഗ അവിടെ എത്തിയതുമുതൽ, സ്വർധുനി ആനന്ദത്തോടെ ആ ലിംഗത്തെ നിത്യവും അർച്ചിച്ചു വരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb/conjunction)

• भागीरथी: Bhāgīrathī (the Ganges)
• भागीरथी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भागीरथी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गङ्गा: Gaṅgā
• गङ्गा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भागीरथी इत्यस्य समानाधिकरणम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• प्राप्ता: arrived
• प्राप्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त (past participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘arrived’

• सरिद्वरा: the best of rivers
• सरिद्वरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (वराः सरित्)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• आरभ्य: starting from
• आरभ्य: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + रभ् (धातु)
• Form: अव्यय (absolutive/gerundial adverb) ‘starting from’; उपपद-भावे

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नित्यम्: always, daily
• नित्यम्: Manner/Time adjunct (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम्)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्वर्धुनी: Svardhunī (the heavenly river, Gaṅgā)
• स्वर्धुनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्धुनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गङ्गायाः पर्यायः

• मुदा: with joy
• मुदा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; भावे—‘with joy’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhāgīrathī Gaṅgā at Kāśī (near Cakrapuṣkariṇī/Jyotīrūpeśvara)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Gaṅgā personified as a radiant goddess (Svardhunī) offering flowers and water to a glowing liṅga at dawn; river currents shimmer like liquid light.

Characters & Entities

• Bhāgīrathī Gaṅgā
• Svardhunī (Gaṅgā)
• Liṅga (Jyotīrūpeśvara context)
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sanctity of Kāśī is affirmed by Gaṅgā herself, whose continual worship models daily devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The site where Gaṅgā arrived in Kāśī, connected to the worship of the local Liṅga (Jyotīrūpeśvara context).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nitya-arcana—daily worship of the Liṅga, presented as an ideal practice.