Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

अपेयस्त्वं तथा भावि स्वादमात्रेण केवलम् । गंडूषमपि पीतं च तोयस्याशुभनाशनम्

Transliteration

apeyastvaṃ tathā bhāvi svādamātreṇa kevalam | gaṃḍūṣamapi pītaṃ ca toyasyāśubhanāśanam

Translation

Du wirst auch als nicht zum Trinken geeignet gelten — nur zum Kosten. Doch selbst ein kleiner Schluck, als Mundspülung genommen, wird bei jenem Wasser zum Vernichter des Unheils.

Word by Word

• अपेयः: not fit to be drunk
• अपेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-पीय (प्रातिपदिक; पीय from √पा (धातु) with negation अ-)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग (common), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• तथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• भावि: (you) will be / are destined to be
• भावि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भाविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• स्वाद-मात्रेण: by mere taste only
• स्वाद-मात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वाद (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वादस्य मात्रा)

• केवलम्: only, merely
• केवलम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (adverbial use of neuter accusative); क्रियाविशेषण

• गण्डूषम्: a mouthful (gargle)
• गण्डूषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण्डूष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• पीतम्: drunk, sipped
• पीतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √पा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; गण्डूषम् इति विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• तोयस्य: of water
• तोयस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अशुभ-नाशनम्: destroyer of inauspiciousness
• अशुभ-नाशनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशुभ (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अशुभस्य नाशनम्)

Speaker

Īśvara (narrator framing the dialogue; statement about Sāgara’s water and its ritual use)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa sacred waters (toya)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim performs gandūṣa—cupping a small amount of water to rinse—while elders gesture a gentle prohibition against drinking; the water glows subtly, signifying purification despite minimal use.

Characters & Entities

• Sāgara (Ocean)
• Gaṇḍūṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when a substance is not for ordinary consumption, its sacred use in tīrtha-context purifies and removes sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sacred sea waters of Prabhāsa (Somnāth region).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Svāda (tasting) and gaṇḍūṣa (mouth-rinsing sip) of the holy water for removing aśubha.