Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

वामेन मातृकं पक्षं दक्षिणेनाथ पैतृकम् । उभाभ्यामथ चात्मानं कराभ्यां मद्वचो यथा

Transliteration

vāmena mātṛkaṃ pakṣaṃ dakṣiṇenātha paitṛkam | ubhābhyāmatha cātmānaṃ karābhyāṃ madvaco yathā

Translation

Mit der linken Hand heilige man die mütterliche Seite, mit der rechten die väterliche; dann heilige man sich selbst mit beiden Händen—genau nach Meinem Wort.

Word by Word

• वामेन: with the left (hand)
• वामेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; (implicit ‘करेण’)

• मातृकम्: maternal
• मातृकम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मातृक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘पक्षम्’

• पक्षम्: side; part
• पक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• दक्षिणेन: with the right (hand)
• दक्षिणेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; (implicit ‘करेण’)

• अथ: then; next
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनन्तरार्थक/प्रस्तावक (then/now)

• पैतृकम्: paternal
• पैतृकम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पैतृक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘पक्षम्’ (understood)

• उभाभ्याम्: with both
• उभाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), द्विवचन; ‘उभाभ्याम्’ = with both (hands)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रमवाचक (then)

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

• आत्मानम्: oneself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• कराभ्याम्: with (two) hands
• कराभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), द्विवचन

• मद्वचः: my word/command
• मद्वचः: Sambandha (Reference/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्-वचस् (प्रातिपदिक; मद् + वचस्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; ‘मम वचः’

• यथा: as; according to
• यथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as; according to)

Speaker

Śiva (Tripurātaka/Virūpākṣa), continuing instruction

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Virūpākṣa-kunda

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devendra (Indra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs a precise water-gesture: left hand touching the left side (maternal), right hand touching the right side (paternal), then both hands to the heart/head to sanctify the self, following Śiva’s instruction.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Maternal line (mātṛka)
• Paternal line (paitṛka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage integrates gratitude to one’s lineage and self-purification; dharma embraces both ancestry and personal conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Śaiva kuṇḍa/tīrtha of the adhyāya, associated with Kedāra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prescribed hand-wise purification/ablution sequence: left for the maternal side, right for the paternal side, and both hands for oneself, following Śiva’s instruction.