Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

खंडस्फुटितसंस्कारं गंगातीरे करोति यः । मम लोके चिरं कालं तस्याक्षय सुखं हरे

Transliteration

khaṃḍasphuṭitasaṃskāraṃ gaṃgātīre karoti yaḥ | mama loke ciraṃ kālaṃ tasyākṣaya sukhaṃ hare

Translation

اے ہری! جو گنگا کے کنارے ٹوٹے پھوٹے یا نامکمل سنسکار بھی ادا کر لے، وہ میرے لوک میں طویل مدت تک لازوال سکھ پاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• खण्डस्फुटितसंस्कारम्: the rites (saṃskāra) broken into pieces / interrupted
• खण्डस्फुटितसंस्कारम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खण्ड + स्फुटित + संस्कार (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (खण्डैः स्फुटितः संस्कारः)

• गङ्गातीरे: on the bank of the Ganga
• गङ्गातीरे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा + तीर (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (गङ्गायाः तीरे)

• करोति: does / performs
• करोति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• लोके: in the world (realm)
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• चिरम्: for long
• चिरम्: Kala (Temporal adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (for a long time)

• कालम्: time (duration)
• कालम्: Kala (Duration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कालावधि-अर्थे (accusative of duration)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अक्षयम्: imperishable
• अक्षयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सुखम्)

• सुखम्: happiness
• सुखम्: Karma (Object/Result)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• हरे: O Hari
• हरे: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; address to Hari within narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā-tīra (Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a Gaṅgā ghāṭ, a householder performs a partially interrupted rite—broken ritual items, wind-tossed offerings—yet divine light rises from the riverbank, signifying acceptance and imperishable reward in ‘my world’.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Hari (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rites done at Gaṅgā’s bank carry amplified merit; even imperfect performance becomes spiritually fruitful by the tīrtha’s power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā-tīra (the riverbank of Gaṅgā) within the Kāśī setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing saṃskāras (life-cycle rites/ritual acts) at the Gaṅgā bank; the verse highlights location-based sanctifying power.