Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

कोलं वा कूपतो ग्राह्यं भूतायां निशि तज्जलम् । तेनोदकेन मृत्तिकया कृत्वा नेत्रद्वयाञ्जनम्

Transliteration

kolaṃ vā kūpato grāhyaṃ bhūtāyāṃ niśi tajjalam | tenodakena mṛttikayā kṛtvā netradvayāñjanam

Translation

Um Mitternacht soll man Wasser aus einem Teich oder Brunnen schöpfen. Mit diesem Wasser und der heiligen Erde bereite man Añjana, die Salbe für beide Augen.

Word by Word

• कोलम्: a boar (or boar-like thing)
• कोलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle: 'or')

• कूपतः: from a well
• कूपतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः (ablatival: 'from a well')

• ग्राह्यम्: to be taken/collected
• ग्राह्यम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: यत्-कृत्य (gerundive/passive necessity), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be taken)

• भूतायाम्: when a spirit is present / in a haunted time
• भूतायाम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; काल/अवस्था-सप्तमी (when it is 'bhūtā'—i.e., at the time of a spirit/haunting)

• निशि: at night
• निशि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देश्य-विशेषण (that)

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; साधन-निर्देश (by that)

• उदकेन: with water
• उदकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• मृत्तिकया: with clay/earth
• मृत्तिकया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्तिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having made/prepared
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive: having made/done)

• नेत्रद्वयाञ्जनम्: collyrium/eye-ointment for both eyes
• नेत्रद्वयाञ्जनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक) + अञ्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नेत्रयोः द्वयस्य अञ्जनम् = collyrium for the two eyes)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solitary pilgrim at midnight draws water from a dark pond or well; beside him a small lamp; he mixes water with sacred clay to make a cool, dark añjana and applies it carefully to both eyes.

Characters & Entities

• Stambha-tīrtha (context)
• Kumāra/Skanda (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic rites often join purity (water), sanctity (mṛttikā), and disciplined timing (midnight) to awaken subtle perception.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The rite is part of the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa tīrtha-sequence; the immediately relevant named tīrtha in the surrounding passage is Stambha-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Collect midnight water from a pond or well and mix it with sacred clay to make collyrium for both eyes.