Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

गृहाद्गंगावगाहार्थं गच्छतस्तु पदेपदे । निराशानि व्रजंत्येव पापान्यस्य शरीरतः

Transliteration

gṛhādgaṃgāvagāhārthaṃ gacchatastu padepade | nirāśāni vrajaṃtyeva pāpānyasya śarīrataḥ

Translation

جب وہ گھر سے گنگا میں اشنان کے لیے روانہ ہوتا ہے تو ہر قدم پر اس کے جسم سے گناہ ناامید ہو کر جدا ہوتے جاتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• गृहात्: from the house
• गृहात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; Ablative Singular (neuter)

• गङ्गावगाहार्थम्: for the purpose of bathing/immersing in the Ganga
• गङ्गावगाहार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा + अवगाह + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थसमास (गङ्गायाम् अवगाहस्य अर्थः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; Accusative Singular used adverbially (purpose)

• गच्छतः: of the one who is going
• गच्छतः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle) ‘गच्छत्’; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; Genitive Singular ‘of one who is going’

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• पदे: at (each) step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; Locative Singular

• पदे: step by step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; Locative Singular; पुनरुक्ति (pade pade)

• निराशानि: hopeless, disappointed
• निराशानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निराश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; Nominative Plural (neuter)

• व्रजन्ति: depart, go away
• व्रजन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; Present Indicative 3rd Plural

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (particle: indeed/only)

• पापानि: sins
• पापानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; Nominative Plural (neuter)

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; Genitive Singular pronoun

• शरीरतः: from the body
• शरीरतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; Ablative Singular (neuter)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A long road with milestones; at each footprint of the pilgrim, dark flecks (sins) peel off and dissolve into dust; the pilgrim grows lighter and more radiant as the Gaṅgā’s shimmering expanse appears nearer.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Pāpa (sin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The very journey toward the Gaṅgā is purifying; pilgrimage is dharma in motion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā-tīrtha, especially as approached for avagāha (immersion/bathing).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertake the Gaṅgā journey from home with the intention of avagāha (ritual immersion/bath).