Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

मानुष्यं दुर्लभं प्राप्य विद्युत्संपातचंचलम् । गंगां यः सेवते सोत्र बुद्धेः पारं परं गतः

Transliteration

mānuṣyaṃ durlabhaṃ prāpya vidyutsaṃpātacaṃcalam | gaṃgāṃ yaḥ sevate sotra buddheḥ pāraṃ paraṃ gataḥ

Translation

Tendo alcançado este nascimento humano—tão raro e tão fugaz quanto um relâmpago—quem aqui serve a Gaṅgā já atravessou para além da margem extrema do entendimento comum.

Word by Word

• मानुष्यम्: human life/state
• मानुष्यम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दुर्लभम्: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (मानुष्यम्)

• प्राप्य: having obtained
• प्राप्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); “having obtained”

• विद्युत्संपातचञ्चलम्: fickle like a flash of lightning
• विद्युत्संपातचञ्चलम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विद्युत् (प्रातिपदिक) + संपात (प्रातिपदिक) + चञ्चल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (मानुष्यम्); तत्पुरुषः (विद्युतः संपातः इव चञ्चलम्)

• गङ्गाम्: the Ganga
• गङ्गाम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• सेवते: serves/worships
• सेवते: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उत: indeed
• उत: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प/उत्कर्ष-निपात (particle: “indeed/also”)

• बुद्धेः: of intellect
• बुद्धेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• पारम्: the far shore/limit
• पारम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• परम्: supreme/farthest
• परम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पारम्)

• गतः: has gone/has reached
• गतः: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः (as predicate adjective to सः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lightning flash in a dark monsoon sky over Kāśī; below, a devotee performs Gaṅgā-sevā at the ghat—lighting lamps, offering water—while a symbolic ‘shore crossing’ motif shows a boat moving from ignorance to luminous calm.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Kāśī
• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Because life is brief and rare, one should prioritize Gaṅgā-sevā; it elevates a person beyond merely intellectual religion toward realized spiritual good.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā in Kāśī—presented as the most worthwhile focus of devotion within fragile human life.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā (reverent service) of Gaṅgā—typically including visiting, bathing, offering prayers, and honoring the tīrtha.