Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34
चरमेपि वयोभागे स्वःसिंधुं यो निषेवते । कृत्वाप्येनांसि बहुशः सोपि यायाच्छुभां गतिम्
caramepi vayobhāge svaḥsiṃdhuṃ yo niṣevate | kṛtvāpyenāṃsi bahuśaḥ sopi yāyācchubhāṃ gatim
แม้ในบั้นปลายแห่งวัย ผู้ใดพึ่งพาและบำเพ็ญการรับใช้สายน้ำสวรรค์คือคงคา ถึงแม้ได้ก่อบาปซ้ำแล้วซ้ำเล่า ก็ยังบรรลุคติอันเป็นมงคล
Skanda (deduced)
Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Svarga-sindhu)
Type: kshetra
Listener: null
Scene: An aged pilgrim leaning on a staff reaches the Gaṅgā steps; attendants help him bathe; the river shines like a celestial stream, suggesting release from accumulated sins.
FAQs
No one is beyond hope: turning to Gaṅgā with service and refuge even late in life is portrayed as transformative and salvific.
Gaṅgā, called the ‘svah-sindhu’ (heavenly river), in the Kāśī pilgrimage frame.
Niṣevana/sevā—resorting to Gaṅgā through attendance, reverence, and tīrtha practice (commonly snāna, japa, and worship).