Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

अज्ञानरागलोभाद्यैः पुंसां संमूढचेतसाम् । श्रद्धा न जायते धर्मे गंगायां च विशेषतः

Transliteration

ajñānarāgalobhādyaiḥ puṃsāṃ saṃmūḍhacetasām | śraddhā na jāyate dharme gaṃgāyāṃ ca viśeṣataḥ

Translation

凡为无明、贪著、贪欲等所迷惑之人，其心不生信——既不信于正法，尤不信于恒河（Gaṅgā）。

Word by Word

• अज्ञानरागलोभाद्यैः: by ignorance, attachment, greed, etc.
• अज्ञानरागलोभाद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज्ञान + राग + लोभ + आदि (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व/समुच्चयार्थः; 'आद्य' = 'आदि' (etc.)

• पुंसाम्: of men
• पुंसाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुम्स्/पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• संमूढचेतसाम्: of those whose minds are deluded
• संमूढचेतसाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संमूढ (कृदन्त; सम्+√मुह्, क्त) + चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कर्मधारय-प्रायः) 'संमूढं चेतः येषाम्'

• श्रद्धा: faith
• श्रद्धा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• जायते: is born, arises
• जायते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• धर्मे: in dharma / in righteousness
• धर्मे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• गंगायाम्: in/at the Ganga
• गंगायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Adverbial modifier (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Jāhnavī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Interlocutors seeking Kāśī-Gaṅgā merit (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contrast scene on a Kāśī ghāṭ: some pilgrims bathe with devotion, while others, distracted by desire and greed, pass by unmoved; a sage points to the inner causes of faithlessness.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Dharma
• Ajñāna
• Rāga
• Lobha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner impurities—ignorance, attachment, and greed—block śraddhā; purification of mind is essential for Dharma and tīrtha-devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā, particularly as encountered in the Kāśī sacred landscape, is highlighted as a supreme object of faith.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external ritual is specified; the verse implies ethical and psychological purification as the prerequisite for fruitful tīrtha practice.