Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

स्नानकर्मणि योग्यांश स्वादिष्ठायनमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

snānakarmaṇi yogyāṃśa svādiṣṭhāyanamuttamam

Translation

স্নানকর্মে সর্বোত্তম ও উপযুক্ত অংশ হলো ‘স্বাদিষ্ঠায়ন’ (নামক পাঠাংশ)।

Word by Word

• स्नानकर्मणि: in the bathing rite
• स्नानकर्मणि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्नानस्य कर्म)

• योग्यांश: a suitable portion/part
• योग्यांश: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (योग्यः अंशः)

• स्वादिष्ठायनम्: the best approach/means (lit. 'path')
• स्वादिष्ठायनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वादिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + अयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (स्वादिष्ठस्य अयनम्)

• उत्तमम्: excellent, best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्वादिष्ठायनम् इत्यस्य)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-priest points to a marked section in a manuscript labeled for snāna, while a disciple prepares water vessels and darbha, indicating the ‘right portion’ to chant during bathing.

Characters & Entities

• Snāna (ritual bath)
• Svādiṣṭhāyana (mantra/section)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even simple acts like bathing become sacred when aligned with śāstra-approved mantras and intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single named tīrtha appears in this line; it supports the general tīrtha-bathing procedure of the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use of a particular mantra/hymnic portion (Svādiṣṭhāyana) as especially appropriate for snāna.