Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

श्रुत्वा गंगेश माहात्म्यं न नरो निरयी भवेत् । लभेच्च पुण्यसंभारं चिंतितं चाधिगच्छति

Transliteration

śrutvā gaṃgeśa māhātmyaṃ na naro nirayī bhavet | labhecca puṇyasaṃbhāraṃ ciṃtitaṃ cādhigacchati

Translation

గంగేశ మహాత్మ్యాన్ని విన్నవాడు నరకగామి కాడు; అతడు పుణ్యసంపదను పొందుతాడు, అంతరంగంలో కోరినదాన్నీ సాధిస్తాడు.

Word by Word

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Sambandha (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable): ‘having heard’

• gaṅgeśa: of Gaṅgeśa
• gaṅgeśa: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā-īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन (Genitive Sg) — ‘of Gaṅgeśa’ (contextual)

• māhātmyam: greatness, glory
• māhātmyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māhātmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Accusative Sg)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• naraḥ: a man/person
• naraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nominative Sg)

• nirayī: hell-bound
• nirayī: Visheshana (Adjectival complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niraya + in (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nominative Sg); विशेषणम्—‘hell-bound/one who goes to hell’

• bhavet: would become
• bhavet: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg)

• labhet: would obtain
• labhet: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• puṇya-saṃbhāram: a store/collection of merit
• puṇya-saṃbhāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya + saṃbhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Accusative Sg)

• ciṃtitam: the desired thing
• ciṃtitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ciṃtita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √cint)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Accusative Sg); भूतकृत् (past passive participle) used substantively: ‘what is desired/thought of’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• adhigacchati: attains, reaches
• adhigacchati: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: adhi-gam (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgeśa/Gaṅgeśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage or kathāvācaka recites Gaṅgeśvara’s glory to gathered listeners; the liṅga is depicted in the background as the narrative’s focus; listeners’ faces show relief and hope, symbolizing release from naraka-fear and attainment of wishes.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgeśa/Gaṅgeśvara
• Naraka (hell)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa (devout listening) to a tīrtha’s or deity’s māhātmya is itself a dharmic practice that generates merit and protects one from grievous downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgeśvara/Gaṅgeśa in Kāśī, whose māhātmya is said to confer strong spiritual protection and blessings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The practice highlighted is hearing (śravaṇa) the Gaṅgeśvara māhātmya; no additional rite is specified in this verse.