Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

दुर्मते भोः किमेतत्त्वं कुरुषे पापनिश्चयः । देवीकुण्डे क्षालयसि मुखं पादौ करौ च यत्

Transliteration

durmate bhoḥ kimetattvaṃ kuruṣe pāpaniścayaḥ | devīkuṇḍe kṣālayasi mukhaṃ pādau karau ca yat

Translation

„O du Tor im Geiste! Was tust du da in sündhafter Absicht—du wäschst Gesicht, Füße und Hände im Devī-kuṇḍa?“

Word by Word

• दुर्मते: O evil-minded one
• दुर्मते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्-मत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: कर्मधारय (दुष्टा मतिः यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन विभक्ति; एकवचन (Vocative singular)

• भोः: O!
• भोः: Sambodhana (Address particle/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भोः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object of ‘do’/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन (interrogative “what”)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण (demonstrative)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/सामान्य; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (2nd person pronoun)

• कुरुषे: do (you)
• कुरुषे: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• पापनिश्चयः: one resolved on sin
• पापनिश्चयः: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप-निश्चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पापस्य निश्चयः); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• देवीकुण्डे: in the Devī’s pond
• देवीकुण्डे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी-कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देव्याः कुण्डम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन (Locative singular)

• क्षालयसि: you wash
• क्षालयसि: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √क्षल् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मुखम्: face
• मुखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• पादौ: (your) two feet
• पादौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; द्विवचन

• करौ: (your) two hands
• करौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; द्विवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• यत्: since/that
• यत्: Hetu (Reason marker/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative particle: “since/that”)

Speaker

Unidentified being/guardian standing above (ūparistha)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devī-kuṇḍa

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A guardian/attendant confronts Bhīma at the Devī-kuṇḍa, accusing him of polluting intent as he washes face, feet, and hands; the stepped pond and temple precinct frame the confrontation.

Characters & Entities

• Devī-kuṇḍa
• Bhīma (implied as Vṛkodara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Treat divine waters as a sanctified offering-space, not as ordinary washing water.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Devī-kuṇḍa, explicitly named and defended as a sacred reservoir of the Goddess.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not wash face, feet, or hands inside Devī-kuṇḍa; maintain the pond’s ritual sanctity.