Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 130

Devanagari script

एवं विमृश्य सुचिरं प्रक्षाल्य शिवमंदिरम् । यथागतेन मार्गेण नंदी स्वगृहमागतः

Transliteration

evaṃ vimṛśya suciraṃ prakṣālya śivamaṃdiram | yathāgatena mārgeṇa naṃdī svagṛhamāgataḥ

Translation

So sann er lange nach und wusch den Śiva-Tempel zur Reinigung; dann kehrte Nandī auf demselben Weg, auf dem er gekommen war, in seine Wohnung zurück.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थ-अव्ययम् (adverb: thus)

• विमृश्य: having considered
• विमृश्य: Kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√मृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तम् (absolutive/gerund): 'having reflected'

• सुचिरम्: for a long time
• सुचिरम्: Adhikaraṇa (Time span)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सुचिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-एकवचनम् (adverbial accusative: 'for a long time')

• प्रक्षाल्य: having cleansed
• प्रक्षाल्य: Kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√क्षल् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तम् (absolutive/gerund): 'having washed/cleansed'

• शिवमन्दिरम्: Śiva’s temple
• शिवमन्दिरम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म/Object), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य मन्दिरम्)

• यथागतेन: by the same way as (he) came
• यथागतेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/Path manner)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यथा + आगत (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण/Instrumental), एकवचनम्; अव्ययीभावः (यथा आगतः = as (he) came)

• मार्गेण: by the path
• मार्गेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/Route)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण/Instrumental), एकवचनम्

• नन्दी: Nandī
• नन्दी: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (कर्ता/Subject), एकवचनम्

• स्वगृहम्: to his own house
• स्वगृहम्: Karman (Goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + गृह (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म/Object—गत्यर्थे), एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (स्वं गृहं)

• आगतः: returned/came
• आगतः: Kriyā (State/Result)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-कृदन्तः (past participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandī washes and cleans the Śiva-temple—sprinkling water, wiping the floor, restoring order—then departs along the same path, mind steadied.

Characters & Entities

• Nandī
• Śiva (temple)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service to the sacred space—cleanliness and care of the shrine—is itself an expression of devotion and responsibility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra’s Śiva shrine (Kedārakhaṇḍa setting).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prakṣālana—washing/cleansing the Śiva temple as a purificatory act connected to worship.