Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

उद्वर्तनं च देहस्य कदाचित्षष्टिमे पदे । नेत्रांजनप्रभावाच्च बिलं पश्यति शोभनम्

Transliteration

udvartanaṃ ca dehasya kadācitṣaṣṭime pade | netrāṃjanaprabhāvācca bilaṃ paśyati śobhanam

Translation

En s’en frictionnant le corps, à un moment—au soixantième pas—par la puissance de l’añjana des yeux, on aperçoit une splendide ouverture (l’entrée d’une grotte).

Word by Word

• उद्वर्तनम्: rubbing/anointing (massage)
• उद्वर्तनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद् + वृत् (धातु) + ल्युट्/अन (कृत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियानाम (rubbing/anointing; act-noun)

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

• देहस्य: of the body
• देहस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• कदाचित्: at some time
• कदाचित्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'at some time/occasionally')

• षष्टिमे: in the sixtieth
• षष्टिमे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष्टिम (प्रातिपदिक; क्रमवाचक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (in the sixtieth)

• पदे: step/position
• पदे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• नेत्राञ्जनप्रभावात्: due to the power of the eye-ointment
• नेत्राञ्जनप्रभावात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अञ्जन (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (हेतु/अपादान), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नेत्राञ्जनस्य प्रभावः)

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

• बिलम्: a hole/cave
• बिलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शोभनम्: beautiful/auspicious
• शोभनम्: Visheshana (Object qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म-विशेषण (qualifying 'bilaṃ')

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: cave

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The pilgrim rubs consecrated paste over the body; a path with counted steps rises toward a rocky face; at the sixtieth step a luminous, beautiful cave-mouth appears, as if unveiled.

Characters & Entities

• Kumāra/Skanda (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disciplined ritual practice is portrayed as unveiling hidden sacred realities—symbolized by the sudden sight of a radiant passage.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

A concealed ‘bila’ (opening/cave) connected to the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa sacred landscape is indicated; the precise toponym is not stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Apply the prepared substances as udvartana and use the eye-ointment; a sign occurs at the ‘sixtieth step’ when the opening becomes visible.