Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

कुशाग्रेणापि कौन्तेय न स्पृष्टव्यो महोदधिः । अनेन तत्र मन्त्रेण स्नातव्यं नृपसत्तम

Transliteration

kuśāgreṇāpi kaunteya na spṛṣṭavyo mahodadhiḥ | anena tatra mantreṇa snātavyaṃ nṛpasattama

Translation

O Sohn der Kuntī, der große Ozean darf nicht einmal mit der Spitze des Kuśa-Grases berührt werden. Dort, o Bester der Könige, soll man mit diesem Mantra baden.

Word by Word

• कुशाग्रेण: with the tip of a kuśa grass
• कुशाग्रेण: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; कुशस्य अग्रं (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• कौन्तेय: O son of Kuntī
• कौन्तेय: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौन्तेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

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

• स्पृष्टव्यः: should be touched
• स्पृष्टव्यः: Kriya (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligative), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (to be touched)

• महोदधिः: the great ocean
• महोदधिः: Karta (Subject/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + उदधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; महान् उदधिः (कर्मधारय)

• अनेन: by this
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (instrumental: by this)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• मन्त्रेण: with the mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• स्नातव्यम्: (it is) to be bathed/one should bathe
• स्नातव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्तरि-भाव (one should bathe)

• नृपसत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; नृपाणां सत्तमः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Narrator addressing Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā-udadhi-saṅgama (restricted ocean-contact zone)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A Pāṇḍava addressed as ‘Kaunteya’; also ‘nṛpasattama’ indicates royal addressee

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A priest instructs a royal pilgrim: kuśa-grass held aloft but not touching the sea; the pilgrim stands at the edge, reciting mantra, while attendants hold water vessels; the confluence churns behind.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira (Kaunteya)
• Mahodadhi (Ocean)
• Kuśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha practice is governed by restraint and rule: reverence expresses itself through careful ritual boundaries and mantra-led action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The mahodadhi (ocean) at the Narmadā–Sāgara-saṅgama within the Revā-khaṇḍa pilgrimage circuit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not physically touch the ocean (even with kuśa); instead perform snāna accompanied by the stated mantra.