Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 134

Devanagari script

उद्धृत्ताभिस्तथाद्भिस्तु शौचं कुर्याद्विचक्षणः । अंतर्जलाद्देवकुलाद्वल्मीकान्मूषकस्थलात्

Transliteration

uddhṛttābhistathādbhistu śaucaṃ kuryādvicakṣaṇaḥ | aṃtarjalāddevakulādvalmīkānmūṣakasthalāt

Translation

Der Einsichtige soll die Reinigung (śauca) mit heraufgenommener Erde und mit Wasser vollziehen; besonders wenn Unreinheit entsteht durch Wasser im Innern der Wohnung, durch den Tempelbezirk (devakula), durch einen Ameisen- oder Termitenhügel oder durch einen von Mäusen aufgesuchten Ort.

Word by Word

• उद्धृत्ताभिः: with (earth) that has been dug up
• उद्धृत्ताभिः: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद् + धृ (धातु) → उद्धृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Instrumental plural); भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-vishesana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: likewise)

• अद्भिः: with water
• अद्भिः: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्/अद् (प्रातिपदिक: आपः)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (बहुवचन-प्रातिपदिक ‘आपः’); तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Instrumental plural)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Nipata (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वय (particle: but/indeed)

• शौचम्: purification/cleaning
• शौचम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• कुर्यात्: should do/perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विचक्षणः: a discerning person
• विचक्षणः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• अन्तर्जलात्: from within water
• अन्तर्जलात्: Apadana (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तः (अव्यय/उपसर्ग-प्रातिपदिक) + जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Ablative singular); अव्ययीभावः (antar-jalam = ‘inside water’)

• देवकुलात्: from a temple
• देवकुलात्: Apadana (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Ablative singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (devānāṃ kulam = temple/holy precinct)

• वल्मीकात्: from an anthill
• वल्मीकात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वल्मीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Ablative singular)

• मूषकस्थलात्: from a mouse-hole/place of mice
• मूषकस्थलात्: Apadana (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूषक (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Ablative singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (mūṣakasya sthalam = rat-hole/place of mice)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devakula-maryādā (generic temple precinct sanctity)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A temple courtyard with a small shrine; near a wall an anthill rises; in a corner signs of mice; a person draws clean earth from a pure spot, mixes with water, and performs cleansing; a separate vignette shows indoor water spillage being purified.

Characters & Entities

• devakula (temple)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity of body and space supports purity of mind; a devotee maintains śauca with practical discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the verse emphasizes general temple-space (devakula) sanctity within Purāṇic dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform śauca using earth (mṛd) and water, particularly regarding impurity connected with indoor water, temple areas, anthills, and rodent places.