Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

मनोवाक्कायजैर्दोषैर्दुष्टो बहुविधैरपि । वीक्ष्य गंगां भवेत्पूतः पुरुषो नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

manovākkāyajairdoṣairduṣṭo bahuvidhairapi | vīkṣya gaṃgāṃ bhavetpūtaḥ puruṣo nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

即使一人被由心、语、身所生的种种过失所染，只要瞻仰圣洁的恒河（Gaṅgā），便得清净；对此毫无疑惑。

Word by Word

• मनोवाक्कायजैः: born of mind, speech, and body
• मनोवाक्कायजैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनस्-वाक्-काय-ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः द्वन्द्वः (मनः+वाक्+काय) ततः तद्धित/कृदन्त-प्रायः 'ज' (born of)

• दोषैः: by faults
• दोषैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• दुष्टः: tainted, corrupted
• दुष्टः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; पुरुषः इति विशेषणम्

• बहुविधैः: of many kinds
• बहुविधैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु-विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (बहवो विधाः)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (even/also)

• वीक्ष्य: having seen
• वीक्ष्य: Pūrvakāla (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि-ईक्ष् (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), √ईक्ष् (to see) उपसर्गः वि

• गंगाम्: the Ganga
• गंगाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; धातुः √भू (to become)

• पूतः: purified
• पूतः: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; पुरुषः इति विशेषणम्

• पुरुषः: a man/person
• पुरुषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Scope/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: here/in this matter)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A remorseful person with shadowy stains around head (mind), mouth (speech), and hands/body approaches the riverbank; upon seeing Gaṅgā, the shadows dissolve into light, while the river gleams with compassionate radiance; the phrase ‘nātra saṃśayaḥ’ implied as a seal of certainty.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Doṣa (mind-speech-body)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace flows through sacred geography—Gaṅgā’s mere darśana is taught as powerfully purifying.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā (particularly in Kāśī), praised for purification through sight (darśana).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (beholding) of the Gaṅgā is highlighted as spiritually efficacious, even before bathing or other rites.