Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

मातरं पितरं पूज्यं स्पृशेत्साधारणं त्विदम् । कोशस्य रूपं पूर्वं ते व्याख्यातं पांडुनंदन

Transliteration

mātaraṃ pitaraṃ pūjyaṃ spṛśetsādhāraṇaṃ tvidam | kośasya rūpaṃ pūrvaṃ te vyākhyātaṃ pāṃḍunaṃdana

Translation

On peut toucher sa mère, son père ou une personne vénérable : telle est la règle générale. Ô fils de Pāṇḍu, la forme du « kośa » (le réceptacle ou moyen rituel) t’a déjà été expliquée auparavant.

Word by Word

• मातरम्: mother
• मातरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• पितरम्: father
• पितरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• पूज्यम्: worthy of worship
• पूज्यम्: Karman (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज्य (प्रातिपदिक; √पूज् से)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (यत्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (to be worshipped)

• स्पृशेत्: should touch
• स्पृशेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

• साधारणम्: common/general
• साधारणम्: Karman (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साधारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• कोशस्य: of the sheath/case
• कोशस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• रूपम्: form/nature
• रूपम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (here: object of implied 'told' or subject of 'vyākhyātam')

• पूर्वम्: previously
• पूर्वम्: Sambandha (Temporal adverb/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly/previously)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th) एकवचन (or षष्ठी एकवचन; here: 'to you')

• व्याख्यातम्: explained
• व्याख्यातम्: Kriya (Predicate as participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + आ + √ख्या (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन

• पाण्डुनन्दन: O son of Pāṇḍu
• पाण्डुनन्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डु (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: पाण्डोः नन्दनः); पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative); एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced); addressing a Pāṇḍava-descended interlocutor within the narrative frame

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍunandana

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic moment: Skanda (or a sage) instructs the Pāṇḍava; in the foreground a devotee respectfully touches mother and father’s feet and then an elder’s hand, indicating permitted sparśa; a ‘kośa’ (ritual receptacle) is shown nearby as previously explained.

Characters & Entities

• Mother
• Father
• Pāṇḍunandana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Elders embody dharma; invoking them as touch-witnesses reinforces accountability and reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general oath-touch practice: touching mother, father, or a venerable person as part of solemn affirmation.