Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

गोचर्मणि समालग्नः शुद्धिकामस्य तस्य च । प्रष्टव्यास्तु ततस्तेन सर्व एव द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

gocarmaṇi samālagnaḥ śuddhikāmasya tasya ca | praṣṭavyāstu tatastena sarva eva dvijottamāḥ

Translation

Und nachdem für den nach Reinigung Strebenden eine Kuhhaut als Sitz- oder Bodenauflage ausgebreitet worden war, sollte er daraufhin alle erhabenen Brāhmaṇas befragen.

Word by Word

• गोचर्मणि: on the cowhide
• गोचर्मणि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + चर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गोः चर्म = cowhide)

• समालग्नः: having clung/attached (seated close)
• समालग्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-लग् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शुद्धिकामस्य: of the one desiring purification
• शुद्धिकामस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शुद्धिं कामयते इति)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• प्रष्टव्याः: should be asked
• प्रष्टव्याः: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तु: indeed / then
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनन्तर-अर्थे

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• एव: indeed / only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphasis)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: the best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः

Speaker

Unspecified (procedural narration within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gartā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cowhide is spread as a ground-cover/seat for the purification-seeker; around him, brāhmaṇas are arranged to be consulted, suggesting a formal council-like ritual consultation.

Characters & Entities

• gocarma (cowhide)
• dvijottama (excellent brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is pursued through orderly, tradition-bound conduct—proper ritual setting and guidance from the learned are integral.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Gartā-tīrtha-linked sequence in Adhyāya 201, focusing on procedure rather than naming additional sites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arranging a cowhide as part of the rite and formally consulting all the dvijottamas regarding the purification.