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Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 55

स्पृष्ट्वा स्वदेहस्रोतांसि मृत्तोयैः शोध्यते करः । तथाप्यशुचिभांडस्य न विरज्यति किं नरः

spṛṣṭvā svadehasrotāṃsi mṛttoyaiḥ śodhyate karaḥ | tathāpyaśucibhāṃḍasya na virajyati kiṃ naraḥ

Nachdem er die eigenen Körperöffnungen berührt hat, reinigt der Mensch seine Hand mit Erde und Wasser; und doch: wie sollte er nicht Entsagung gegenüber diesem unreinen Gefäß, dem Körper, empfinden?

स्पृष्ट्वाhaving touched
स्पृष्ट्वा:
Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootस्पृश् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
Formक्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): ‘having touched’
स्वone's own
स्व:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootस्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः/पूर्वपद; ‘स्व’ = own (used adjectivally)
देहbody
देह:
Samasa-member (समासाङ्ग)
TypeNoun
Rootदेह (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)
स्रोतांसिchannels
स्रोतांसि:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootस्रोतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; ‘स्पृष्ट्वा’ इत्यस्य कर्म
मृत्earth, clay
मृत्:
Samasa-member (समासाङ्ग)
TypeNoun
Rootमृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)
तोयैःwith water
तोयैः:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootतोय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; साधनम्
शोध्यतेis cleansed
शोध्यते:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√शुध्/शुच् (धातु; शोधनार्थे)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद
करःhand
करः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
तथाthus
तथा:
Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; तदनुरूपार्थक (so, thus)
अपिeven so
अपि:
Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अपि = ‘even/also’ (particle)
अशुचिभाण्डस्यof an impure vessel
अशुचिभाण्डस्य:
Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootअशुचि-भाण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘अशुचि’ इति विशेषणपूर्वपद (impure vessel)
not
:
Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)
विरज्यतिbecomes free from stain, is purified
विरज्यति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवि√रञ्ज् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
किम्what? why?
किम्:
Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक
नरःman
नरः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootनर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Type: ghat

Scene: A pilgrim washes hands with earth and water at a riverbank; beside him a sage gestures toward the body, prompting reflection. In the background, a small Śiva shrine and a calm river indicate the bridge from ritual to realization.

FAQs

Daily acts of washing should remind one of the body’s impurity and inspire detachment and inner reform.

No particular tīrtha is named; the teaching is ethical and contemplative rather than geographical.

Cleansing (śauca) with earth and water after contact with bodily outlets is referenced as a conventional practice.