Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

हृत्कण्ठ तालुगाभिश्च यथावर्णं द्विजातयः । शुध्येरन्स्त्री च शूद्रश्च सकृत्स्पृष्टाभिरंततः

Transliteration

hṛtkaṇṭha tālugābhiśca yathāvarṇaṃ dvijātayaḥ | śudhyeranstrī ca śūdraśca sakṛtspṛṣṭābhiraṃtataḥ

Translation

وبالمياه المُطهِّرة التي تمسّ موضع القلب والحلق والحنك، يتطهّر ذوو الولادتين بحسب آدابهم الخاصة؛ وحتى النساء والشودرا يتطهّرون من كل وجه إذا مستهم تلك المياه مرةً واحدة.

Word by Word

• हृत्कण्ठतालुगाभिः: with (waters touching) heart, throat, palate, and ‘gā’ (organs/parts)
• हृत्कण्ठतालुगाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृत् (प्रातिपदिक) + कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + तालु (प्रातिपदिक) + गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural; समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (हृच्च कण्ठश्च तालु च गाश्च)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय; conjunction (and)

• यथावर्णम्: according to (one’s) varṇa
• यथावर्णम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्यय (according to caste/class)

• द्विजातयः: the twice-born (classes)
• द्विजातयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; Nominative plural; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः (द्विजातयः = twice-born)

• शुध्येरन्: should be purified
• शुध्येरन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शुध् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; should be purified / should become pure

• स्त्री: a woman
• स्त्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (woman)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय; conjunction (and)

• शूद्रः: a Śūdra
• शूद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (Śūdra)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय; conjunction (and)

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/आवृत्तिवाचक-अव्यय; adverb (once)

• स्पृष्टाभिः: with (waters) that have touched
• स्पृष्टाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्पृश् (धातु) → स्पृष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (touched)

• अन्ततः: finally/at the end
• अन्ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/पर्यवसानार्थक-अव्यय; adverb (finally/at the end/altogether)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya didactic narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of pilgrims of varied social stations receive sanctified water: dvijas performing formal ācamana, while others receive sprinkling/touch; subtle depiction of water touching throat and palate through gesture and posture.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a single contact with consecrated tīrtha-water, received properly, is praised as a powerful means of purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks generally of tīrtha-water within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya context; the specific site is not named in this single verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Purification through the touch/flow of holy water reaching the heart, throat, and palate—implying sipping (ācamana) and sanctifying contact.