Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 116

Devanagari script

स्नातमात्रस्य ते हस्ताद्यत्र तत्पतति क्षितौ । तेजः संजायतेगात्रे दुर्गंधश्च प्रणश्यति

Transliteration

snātamātrasya te hastādyatra tatpatati kṣitau | tejaḥ saṃjāyategātre durgaṃdhaśca praṇaśyati

Translation

Sobald du gebadet hast, wird an eben der Stelle, wo es aus deiner Hand zur Erde fällt, Glanz in deinem Leib aufsteigen, und der üble Geruch wird vergehen.

Word by Word

• स्नातमात्रस्य: of (one) just bathed
• स्नातमात्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्नात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (स्नातस्य मात्रम् = just-bathed); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; 'ते' इति (सम्बन्धे)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• हस्तात्: from (the) hand
• हस्तात्: Apādāna (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (relative adverb)

• तत्: that (thing)
• तत्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• पतति: falls
• पतति: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• क्षितौ: on the ground
• क्षितौ: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तेजः: radiance; energy
• तेजः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• संजायते: is produced; arises
• संजायते: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• गात्रे: in the body
• गात्रे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• दुर्गन्धः: bad smell
• दुर्गन्धः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (दुष्टः गन्धः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय

• प्रणश्यति: perishes; disappears
• प्रणश्यति: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Brahmā (instructing Śakra/Indra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A close, almost cinematic moment: droplets fall from the bather’s hand to the riverbank earth; simultaneously a subtle aura brightens around the body, while dark miasma-like fumes (foul odor) dissipate into the air.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Śakra (Indra)
• kapāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrtha-bathing removes inner and outer impurity, manifesting as renewed tejas (spiritual radiance).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to a particular sanctified spot where the kapāla falls after snāna; the named site appears shortly after as Viśvāmitra-hrada within Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at the tīrtha, after which the kapāla is to fall at a divinely marked place, bringing purification.