Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

ततः शैलः सपत्नीकः पादौ प्रक्षाल्य हर्षितः । भवस्य तेन तोयेन सिषिचे स्वं जगत्तथा

Transliteration

tataḥ śailaḥ sapatnīkaḥ pādau prakṣālya harṣitaḥ | bhavasya tena toyena siṣice svaṃ jagattathā

Translation

ثم إن شَيْلا (الهيمالايا)، مع قرينته، غسل بفرحٍ قدمي بهافا (شِيفا)؛ وبذلك الماء عينه رشَّ عالمه هو أيضًا مُبارِكًا إيّاه.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक (temporal/sequence adverb)

• शैलः: the mountain (Śaila)
• शैलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• सपत्नीकाḥ: with his wife
• सपत्नीकाḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-पत्नी-क (प्रातिपदिक; पत्नी + क)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; विशेषण (having a wife, accompanied by wife)

• पादौ: (the) two feet
• पादौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); द्विवचन

• प्रक्षाल्य: having washed
• प्रक्षाल्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-क्षल् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having washed)

• हर्षितः: delighted
• हर्षितः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हर्षित (कृदन्त; हृष् धातु + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (past participle: delighted)

• भवस्य: of Bhava (Śiva)
• भवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन

• तेन: with that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुं; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तोयेन: water
• तोयेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन

• सिषिचे: sprinkled/washed (by sprinkling)
• सिषिचे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सि-च् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्वम्: his own
• स्वम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; विशेषण (own)

• जगत्: world
• जगत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Kriya (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb: thus/likewise)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Himālaya, crowned with snowy peaks, with his consort beside him, kneels before Bhava (Śiva) and washes his feet in a golden basin; the collected water is then sprinkled across mountains, forests, and settlements as a blessing.

Characters & Entities

• Himālaya (Śaila)
• Menā (implied by sapatnīka)
• Śiva (Bhava)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service to Śiva (pāda-prakṣālana) becomes sanctifying; what touches the Lord becomes a medium of blessing for one’s whole realm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A specific tīrtha is not named; the sanctifying power of Śiva’s pāda-toya is emphasized in a mythic setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pāda-prakṣālana (washing the feet of the honored guest/deity) and using the sanctified water for auspicious sprinkling.