Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 120

Devanagari script

ज्ञात्वाज्ञात्वा च गंगायां यः पंचत्वमवाप्नुयात् । अनात्मघाती स्वर्गी स्यान्नरकान्स न पश्यति

Transliteration

jñātvājñātvā ca gaṃgāyāṃ yaḥ paṃcatvamavāpnuyāt | anātmaghātī svargī syānnarakānsa na paśyati

Translation

جان بوجھ کر یا بے خبری میں، جو کوئی گنگا میں پنچتو (موت) کو پہنچے—بشرطیکہ وہ خودکُش نہ ہو—وہ سوَرگ کا حق دار بنتا ہے اور دوزخوں کو نہیں دیکھتا۔

Word by Word

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) → ज्ञात्वा (कृदन्त, त्वान्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-अव्यय; त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund) ‘having known’

• अज्ञात्वा: without knowing
• अज्ञात्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + अ- (निषेध) → अज्ञात्वा (कृदन्त, त्वान्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-अव्यय; नञ्-पूर्वक त्वान्त (absolutive) ‘without knowing’

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction ‘and’)

• गङ्गायाम्: in the Gaṅgā
• गङ्गायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

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

• पञ्चत्वम्: the state of five-ness; death (becoming the five elements)
• पञ्चत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• अवाप्नुयात्: should attain
• अवाप्नुयात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; parasmaipada; ‘should attain’

• अनात्मघाती: not a self-slayer (not a suicide)
• अनात्मघाती: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्तृसमाना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनात्मघातिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—नञ्-तत्पुरुष (आत्मघाती न; not a self-killer); Nominative singular

• स्वर्गी: heaven-going; in heaven
• स्वर्गी: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्तृसमाना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्गिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘one who goes to heaven/possessing heaven’; Nominative singular

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; parasmaipada; ‘would be/should be’

• नरकान्: hells
• नरकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Accusative plural

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

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

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; parasmaipada

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Jāhnavī)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis; within Kāśī-khaṇḍa, Agastya appears as interlocutor nearby

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a Kāśī ghat, an aged devotee near death is supported by family; Gaṅgā flows calmly. A subtle celestial path opens above, while a dharma-guardian motif signals the prohibition against self-slaughter.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Naraka
• Svarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Death associated with the Gaṅgā is portrayed as salvific, but Purāṇic dharma excludes self-harm from this promised benefit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā (Jāhnavī) as a liberating tīrtha, especially in the Kāśī-khaṇḍa milieu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No detailed ritual is given; the verse states a doctrinal result concerning death at/in the Gaṅgā, with an ethical restriction against suicide.