Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 127

Devanagari script

स्नानकाले च सर्वत्र श्राद्धकाले पठेन्नरः । पृथुनोक्तानि नामानि यज्ञमूर्तिपदं व्रजेत्

Transliteration

snānakāle ca sarvatra śrāddhakāle paṭhennaraḥ | pṛthunoktāni nāmāni yajñamūrtipadaṃ vrajet

Translation

Au temps du bain—en tout lieu—et au moment du śrāddha, l’homme doit réciter les noms énoncés par Pṛthu ; par là, il atteint l’état de Yajña incarné, le but suprême du sacrifice.

Word by Word

• स्नानकाले: at the time of bathing
• स्नानकाले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (स्नानस्य कालः)

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

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: everywhere)

• श्राद्धकाले: at the time of śrāddha
• श्राद्धकाले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (श्राद्धस्य कालः)

• पठेत्: should recite
• पठेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• नरः: a man/person
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पृथुनोक्तानि: spoken by Pṛthu
• पृथुनोक्तानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पृथु (प्रातिपदिक) + उक्त (वच् धातु, क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पृथुना उक्तानि)

• नामानि: names
• नामानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• यज्ञमूर्तिपदम्: the state/abode of the sacrifice-embodiment
• यज्ञमूर्तिपदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यज्ञमूर्तेः पदम्)

• व्रजेत्: should attain/go to
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahī-nāma recitation (Pṛthu-ukta nāmāni) as portable tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nara (general practitioner/householder) explicitly addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder performs śrāddha beside a simple water vessel; simultaneously, a pilgrim bathes in a pond elsewhere—both recite the same Mahī-nāma garland. Above them appears a radiant ‘Yajña-mūrti’ form—cosmic sacrificial person—signifying the attained state.

Characters & Entities

• Pṛthu
• Śrāddha
• Yajña (as embodiment)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Simple recitation aligned with dharmic times (snāna/śrāddha) can elevate one to the highest sacrificial merit.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The Mahī tīrtha tradition, via the names attributed to King Pṛthu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recite Pṛthu’s sacred name-list during bathing and during śrāddha rites.