Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

यदि त्र्यक्षसमत्वं तु लभ्यतेऽन्येन केनचित् । तदा गंगासमत्वं च लभ्यते सरितान्यया

Transliteration

yadi tryakṣasamatvaṃ tu labhyate'nyena kenacit | tadā gaṃgāsamatvaṃ ca labhyate saritānyayā

Translation

ଯଦି ତ୍ର୍ୟକ୍ଷ (ଶିବ) ସମତ୍ୱ ଅନ୍ୟ କାହାରୋ ଦ୍ୱାରା ଲଭ୍ୟ ହେଇପାରେ, ତେବେ ଅନ୍ୟ ଏକ ନଦୀ ମଧ୍ୟ ଗଙ୍ଗାସମତ୍ୱ ଲଭିପାରିବ।

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्त (conditional particle)

• त्र्यक्ष: the three-eyed one (Śiva)
• त्र्यक्ष: Sambandha (Genitival qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (three-eyed = Śiva); (समासाङ्ग)

• समत्वम्: equality, sameness
• समत्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अवधारण (particle)

• लभ्यते: is obtained
• लभ्यते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense: is obtained)

• अन्येन: by another
• अन्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; विशेषण

• केनचित्: by someone (or something)
• केनचित्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; अनिश्चित (indefinite: someone/anything)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Time/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• गंगा: of Gaṅgā
• गंगा: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन; (समासाङ्ग)

• समत्वम्: equality with Gaṅgā
• समत्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (equality with Gaṅgā)

• च: also
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• लभ्यते: is obtained
• लभ्यते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग

• सरिता: by a river
• सरिता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• अन्यया: by another
• अन्यया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Brahmā (replying to Narmadā, per immediate context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (by comparison)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā articulates a logical analogy: unless someone could equal the Three-Eyed Śiva, no other river can equal Gaṅgā—depict Brahmā teaching, with a subtle vision of Śiva and Gaṅgā as archetypes.

Characters & Entities

• Tryakṣa (Śiva)
• Gaṅgā
• River (sarit)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain divine and sacred excellences are presented as peerless; comparison is used to teach uniqueness, not rivalry.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā’s sanctity is upheld as incomparable; the chapter’s setting remains oriented toward Kāśī-śaiva sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse is a doctrinal statement about incomparability (asādhāraṇatva).