Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

तीर्थेषु कार्यं स्नानं चेत्युक्तं मुनिवरैरपि । अंगप्रक्षालनं स्नानमुक्तं मां निंदसे कुतः

Transliteration

tīrtheṣu kāryaṃ snānaṃ cetyuktaṃ munivarairapi | aṃgaprakṣālanaṃ snānamuktaṃ māṃ niṃdase kutaḥ

Translation

Même les plus grands sages ont déclaré que l’on doit se baigner aux tīrtha. Et le « bain » a été défini comme le lavage des membres ; pourquoi donc me couvres-tu d’opprobre ?

Word by Word

• तीर्थेषु: in sacred fords/places of pilgrimage
• तीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कार्यम्: to be done/required
• कार्यम्: Vidhaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृ-धातोः यत्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विधेय-विशेषण (predicative: 'to be done')

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Connector/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• इति: thus
• इति: Avyaya (Quotative/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, इत्यर्थक (quotative particle)

• उक्तम्: has been said
• उक्तम्: Kriya (Statement/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थ (said/declared)

• मुनिवरैः: by the best sages
• मुनिवरैः: Karana (Instrument/Agent-in-passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); कर्मधारय: 'वराः मुनयः'

• अपि: also
• अपि: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अप्यर्थक (also/even)

• अङ्गप्रक्षालनम्: washing of the limbs
• अङ्गप्रक्षालनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रक्षालन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'अङ्गानां प्रक्षालनम्'

• स्नानम्: (is) bathing
• स्नानम्: Samanaadhikarana (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उक्तम्: is said
• उक्तम्: Kriya (Statement/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• निन्दसे: you blame/censure
• निन्दसे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निन्द् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• कुतः: why/from where
• कुतः: Hetu-prashna (Cause-question/हेतु-प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative adverb: 'whence/why')

Speaker

Bhīma (continuing his reply)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A speaker (Bhīma) gestures toward the water, citing sages; the mood is didactic—hands indicating limbs being washed, with tīrtha-bank in view.

Characters & Entities

• Bhīma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right practice at tīrthas is grounded in śāstric definition—bathing is fundamentally bodily purification done with reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse supports the general sanctity and purpose of tīrtha-bathing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at tīrthas is prescribed, and snāna is identified as aṅga-prakṣālana (washing the body/limbs).