Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

धारयेत्तेन तैलेन ततः स्नानं समाचरेत् । तस्य पीडा न कर्तव्या देयो लाभो महीभुजः

Transliteration

dhārayettena tailena tataḥ snānaṃ samācaret | tasya pīḍā na kartavyā deyo lābho mahībhujaḥ

Translation

„Er soll sich mit jenem Öl salben und danach das rituelle Bad ordnungsgemäß vollziehen. Man darf ihn nicht bedrängen; vielmehr, o König, gewähre ihm den ihm zustehenden Nutzen, die Unterstützung.“

Word by Word

• धारयेत्: should apply/hold (on the body)
• धारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धारय् (धातु √धृ, णिच्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपदम्

• तेन: with that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तैलेन: with oil
• तैलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

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

• समाचरेत्: should perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-चर् (धातु √चर्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पीडा: pain/affliction
• पीडा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• कर्तव्या: to be done/should be done
• कर्तव्या: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate qualifier/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु √कृ) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• देयः: to be given
• देयः: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate qualifier/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु √दा) + यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• लाभः: gain/benefit
• लाभः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महीभुजः: the king (earth-ruler)
• महीभुजः: Sambodhana/Addressed or Karta (Contextual)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक) + भुज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मही-भुज् = 'earth's ruler'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (instructional line within the episode; addressee includes a king: mahībhuj)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other Naimiṣāraṇya sages (standard frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim anoints the body with oil near a sacred waterbody, then steps into the tīrtha for a formal bath; a king or royal officer gestures protection and grants due support to the devotee.

Characters & Entities

• Mahībhuj (king, implied addressee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires both ritual purity (bathing) and social righteousness—protecting others from harm and ensuring their rightful support.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger passage belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Anointing with oil (taila) followed by proper bathing (snāna).