Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

पिप्पलस्याथ भूर्जस्य न त्वन्यस्य कथंचन । तांस्तु वै कारयेच्छुद्धांस्तंदुलाञ्छालिसंभवान्

Transliteration

pippalasyātha bhūrjasya na tvanyasya kathaṃcana | tāṃstu vai kārayecchuddhāṃstaṃdulāñchālisaṃbhavān

Translation

لا تُستعمل إلا أوراق البيبّلا (التين المقدّس) أو أوراق البهورجا (شجر القضبان/البتولا)، ولا غير ذلك البتّة. وليُجعلَت حبوب الأرزّ، المولودة من أرزّ الشالي، طاهرةً منقّاة.

Word by Word

• पिप्पलस्य: of the pippala tree
• पिप्पलस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिप्पल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — “of the pippala (tree)”

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Discourse marker (सम्बन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• भूर्जस्य: of the birch tree
• भूर्जस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूर्ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — “of the bhūrja (birch)”

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

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (विरोध/विशेष)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• अन्यस्य: of any other
• अन्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — “of another (one)”

• कथंचन: in any way at all
• कथंचन: Adverbial modifier (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — सर्वथा/कदापि-निषेधप्रयोगे (in any way/at all)

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन — “those”

• तु: indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (विशेष)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — विशेषार्थक (indeed)

• वै: certainly
• वै: Emphasis (निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — निश्चयार्थक/खलु (certainly/indeed)

• कारयेत्: should have (them) prepared
• कारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) (णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद — “should cause to be done/made”

• शुद्धान्: pure
• शुद्धान्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन — विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘तान्/तन्दुलान्’)

• तन्दुलान्: rice grains
• तन्दुलान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तन्दुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन — “rice-grains”

• शालि-सम्भवान्: arising from śāli (paddy)
• शालि-सम्भवान्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शालि (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध: शालेर् सम्भवः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — विशेषणम् (of ‘तन्दुलान्’)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), by Mahēśvarakhaṇḍa context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhaṭṭāditya (Sūrya) presence implied

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritualist prepares a small set of gleaming śāli rice-grains on pippala or bhūrja leaves, emphasizing careful selection and cleansing before a forthcoming solar rite.

Characters & Entities

• Pippala (Aśvattha)
• Bhūrja (birch)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma emphasizes purity and correct materials; sacred acts depend on sanctioned substances, not personal improvisation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The rite belongs to the Bhaṭṭāditya-associated sacred setting described in this adhyāya, where such tests are considered efficacious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Only pippala or bhūrja leaves are permitted, and the rice must be clean śāli-derived grains.