Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

पापतापाभितप्तानां भूतानामिह जाह्ववी । पापतापहरा यद्वद्गंगा नान्यत्तथा कलौ

Transliteration

pāpatāpābhitaptānāṃ bhūtānāmiha jāhvavī | pāpatāpaharā yadvadgaṃgā nānyattathā kalau

Translation

گناہ کی تپش سے یہاں جھلسے ہوئے جانداروں کے لیے جاہنوی گناہ کے عذاب کو دور کرنے والی ہے؛ کلی یگ میں گنگا جیسی کوئی اور نہیں۔

Word by Word

• पापतापाभितप्तानाम्: of those afflicted by the heat of sin
• पापतापाभितप्तानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + ताप (प्रातिपदिक) + अभि-तप्त (तप् धातु, क्त)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषणम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘अभितप्त’; समासः—पापताप (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/निर्देश), तेन अभितप्त (तृतीया-तत्पुरुषभाव)

• भूतानाम्: of beings
• भूतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन (Plural)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• जाह्ववी: Jāhnavī (the Ganga)
• जाह्ववी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाह्ववी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)

• पापतापहरा: remover of the heat of sin
• पापतापहरा: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + ताप (प्रातिपदिक) + हर (हृ धातु, अण्/ण्वुलादि-कर्तरि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम्; समासः—पापताप (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + हरा (कर्तृवाचक)

• यद्वत्: just as
• यद्वत्: Sambandha (Comparative marker/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद्वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक (comparative particle: ‘just as’)

• गङ्गा: Ganga
• गङ्गा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• अन्यत्: anything else
• अन्यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); ‘अन्यत्’ (other thing)

• तथा: in that way
• तथा: Kriya-vishesana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb: ‘thus/so’)

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Jāhnavī/Bhāgīrathī) in Kāśī

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee scorched by the ‘heat’ of sin approaches the luminous Gaṅgā; her cool waters and radiance dispel the fiery aura around him, symbolizing papa-tapa-haraṇa in Kali-yuga.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Jāhnavī
• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, Gaṅgā is presented as an unmatched means of relief from sin and suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jāhnavī/Gaṅgā as the supreme tīrtha, with the Kāśī milieu implied.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific act is listed; the verse broadly recommends reliance upon Gaṅgā for purification in Kali-yuga.