Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

गंगालाभात्परो लाभः क्वचिदन्यो न विद्यते । तस्माद्गंगामुपासीत गंगैव परमः पुमान्

Transliteration

gaṃgālābhātparo lābhaḥ kvacidanyo na vidyate | tasmādgaṃgāmupāsīta gaṃgaiva paramaḥ pumān

Translation

கங்கையை அடைவதற்கு மேலான லாபம் எங்கும் இல்லை. ஆகவே கங்கையை வழிபட வேண்டும்—கங்கையே பரம புருஷன், பரம சரணம்.

Word by Word

• गङ्गा-लाभात्: than the gain of (obtaining) the Ganga
• गङ्गा-लाभात्: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + लाभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गङ्गायाः लाभः)

• परः: higher, superior
• परः: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• लाभः: gain, benefit
• लाभः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• क्वचित्: anywhere, ever
• क्वचित्: Adverbial modifier (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/देशवाचक-अव्यय (indefinite adverb: 'anywhere/ever')

• अन्यः: another (one)
• अन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (used substantively)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• विद्यते: exists, is found
• विद्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (सत्तार्थक-प्रयोगः: 'exists')

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that reason
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Reason/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• उपासीत: should worship/attend upon
• उपासीत: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप√आस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• गङ्गा: Ganga
• गङ्गा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed, alone
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• परमः: supreme
• परमः: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• पुमान्: Person (Supreme Being)
• पुमान्: Predicate nominative (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुम्स्/पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage interlocutors in Kāśī narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A triumphant devotional scene: Gaṅgā personified as a radiant deity rising from the river, devotees worshipping with lamps and flowers; text banner idea: ‘Gaṅgā eva paramaḥ pumān’.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Paramapuruṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contact with Gaṅgā is the highest spiritual ‘profit’; devotion to Gaṅgā is equated with reaching the supreme refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā—especially as the salvific river within the Kāśī tīrtha network.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upāsanā (worship/regular devotional attendance) of Gaṅgā is explicitly prescribed.