Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

ततः पुष्पो विधायाथ स्नानं धौतांबरः शुचिः । भूनाम्ना साध्य भूमिं च स्थंडिलार्थं द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

tataḥ puṣpo vidhāyātha snānaṃ dhautāṃbaraḥ śuciḥ | bhūnāmnā sādhya bhūmiṃ ca sthaṃḍilārthaṃ dvijottamāḥ

Translation

Darauf, nachdem er die Blumen dargebracht hatte, badete er; in gewaschenen Gewändern und gereinigt bereitete jener Beste der Zweimalgeborenen den Boden mit der Formel „Bhū“ zur Anlage des sthaṇḍila, des rituellen Altarplatzes, vor.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक)

• पुष्पः: Puṣpa (proper name)
• पुष्पः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• विधाय: having done; having performed
• विधाय: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-dhā (धातु) → vidhāya (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund)

• अथ: then; thereafter
• अथ: Discourse/sequence marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तर/प्रारम्भ)

• स्नानम्: bath; bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• धौत-अम्बरः: wearing washed garments
• धौत-अम्बरः: Karta-sāmānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhauta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + ambara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (धौतं अम्बरं यस्य)

• शुचिः: pure; clean
• शुचिः: Karta-sāmānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भू-नाम्ना: by the name 'Bhū'
• भू-नाम्ना: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū (प्रातिपदिक) + nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (भू इति नाम यस्य/भूनाम)

• साध्य: to be prepared/arranged
• साध्य: Vidhi/Prayojana (Obligation/purpose nuance)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sādh (धातु) → sādhya (यत्-कृदन्त)
• Form: यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive), अव्ययभावे/विधेय; अर्थः—'साधयित्वा/साधयितव्या' (to be accomplished)

• भूमिम्: ground; earth
• भूमिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• स्थण्डिल-अर्थम्: for the altar/ritual ground (sthaṇḍila)
• स्थण्डिल-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sthaṇḍila (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्यय (purpose)

• द्विज-उत्तमाः: excellent brāhmaṇas
• द्विज-उत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (उत्तमाः द्विजाः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devotee offers flowers at the shrine, then steps into sacred water to bathe; emerging in clean white garments, he sprinkles and smooths earth, marking a square sthaṇḍila while uttering the bhū formula—ritual precision in a serene setting.

Characters & Entities

• Bhū (earth-formula)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer cleanliness and inner purity are foundational; sacred rites begin with śauca, offerings, and reverent preparation of the worship-space.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate focus is on rite-preparation within a Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha-māhātmya chapter; the tīrtha name is not stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe, wear clean garments, offer flowers, and prepare a sthaṇḍila (ritual ground) using the ‘Bhū’ formula.