Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

तत्तीर्थोत्थां मृदं गात्रे योजयित्वा नरोत्तमः । स्नानं करोति तीर्थानां सर्वेषां लभते फलम्

Transliteration

tattīrthotthāṃ mṛdaṃ gātre yojayitvā narottamaḥ | snānaṃ karoti tīrthānāṃ sarveṣāṃ labhate phalam

Translation

Indem der edle Mensch die aus jenem Tīrtha hervorgegangene heilige Erde auf seinen Leib streicht und dann badet, erlangt er die Frucht des Badens in allen Tīrthas.

Word by Word

• तत्-तीर्थ-उत्थाम्: arisen from that tīrtha
• तत्-तीर्थ-उत्थाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्थ (कृदन्त; √स्था—उत्थाने, क्त; ‘arisen’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास (Fem.; Acc. sg.; ‘arisen from that tīrtha’)

• मृदम्: clay; earth
• मृदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (Fem.; Acc. sg.)

• गात्रे: on the body
• गात्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (Neuter; Loc. sg.)

• योजयित्वा: having applied
• योजयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √युज् (धातु; योजने)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive; ‘having applied/attached’)

• नर-उत्तमः: the best man; noble person
• नर-उत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास (Masc.; Nom. sg.; ‘best of men’)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (Neuter; Acc. sg.)

• करोति: does; performs
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु; करणे)
• Form: लट्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Present; 3rd person; sg.; Parasmaipada)

• तीर्थानाम्: of (all) tīrthas
• तीर्थानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी बहुवचन (Neuter; Gen. pl.)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी बहुवचन (Neuter; Gen. pl.)

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु; लाभे)
• Form: लट्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (Present; 3rd person; sg.; Atmanepada)

• फलम्: fruit; result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (Neuter; Acc. sg.)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śuklatīrtha

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim reverently applies pale clay from the tīrtha onto his body, then steps into the water for snāna; surrounding aura suggests the merit of ‘all tīrthas’ converging into this act.

Characters & Entities

• Śuklatīrtha (context)
• Tīrtha-mṛd (sacred clay)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Concentrated sanctity is attributed to certain places: one tīrtha can bestow the merit of many when approached properly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śuklatīrtha (context), especially its tīrtha-clay used as a sacred aid to bathing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Apply tīrtha-origin clay to the body and then perform snāna to gain the fruits of all tīrthas.