Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

सुत्रामाणमिति प्रोच्य समिधःस्थापनं च यत् । प्रोक्षणीपात्रमासाद्य प्रोक्षणं कृतवांस्ततः

Transliteration

sutrāmāṇamiti procya samidhaḥsthāpanaṃ ca yat | prokṣaṇīpātramāsādya prokṣaṇaṃ kṛtavāṃstataḥ

Translation

Indem er „Sutrāmāṇam…“ rezitierte, setzte er die Zündhölzer (samidh) an ihren Platz; dann nahm er das Sprenggefäß (prokṣaṇī) und vollzog die rituelle Besprengung zur Reinigung.

Word by Word

• सुत्रामाणम्-इति: “sutrāmāṇam” (mantra words)
• सुत्रामाणम्-इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सुत्रामाण (प्रातिपदिक/मन्त्रपद) + इति (अव्यय)
• Form: मन्त्र-उद्धरणरूप; इति-प्रयोग (quotative)

• प्रोच्य: having recited
• प्रोच्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √वच् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (having uttered/recited)

• समिधःस्थापनम्: placement of kindling sticks
• समिधःस्थापनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समिध् (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थापना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (placing of kindling-sticks)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• यत्: which; that
• यत्: Sambandha (Relativizer/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• प्रोक्षणीपात्रम्: the sprinkling vessel
• प्रोक्षणीपात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रोक्षणी (प्रातिपदिक) + पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (sprinkling-vessel)

• आसाद्य: having approached; having taken up
• आसाद्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √सद् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (having approached/reached)

• प्रोक्षणम्: sprinkling; purification by sprinkling
• प्रोक्षणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रोक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• कृतवान्: (he) did; performed
• कृतवान्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रमार्थक (thereafter)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kindling sticks are arranged with precision beside the fire; the ritualist lifts a small sprinkling vessel and flicks sanctified water in arcs over the altar and implements.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is not merely symbolic—Purāṇic dharma frames it as an essential step before approaching the divine through fire.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader chapter is tīrtha-centered, but this verse is a general ritual step and does not name the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Place the samidhs (kindling sticks) while reciting the stated mantra, then perform prokṣaṇa using the prokṣaṇī vessel.