Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

सुहृदय उवाच । स्नातव्यं तीर्थमुख्येषु सत्यमेतन्न संशयः । चरेषु किं तु संविश्य स्थावरेषु बहिः स्थितः

Transliteration

suhṛdaya uvāca | snātavyaṃ tīrthamukhyeṣu satyametanna saṃśayaḥ | careṣu kiṃ tu saṃviśya sthāvareṣu bahiḥ sthitaḥ

Translation

Suhṛdaya dit : Il est vrai—sans aucun doute—qu’il faut se baigner dans les tīrtha les plus éminents. Toutefois, dans les eaux courantes on peut entrer ; dans les eaux immobiles, il convient de rester au dehors.

Word by Word

• सुहृदयः: Suhṛdaya
• सुहृदयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुहृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• स्नातव्यम्: should be bathed
• स्नातव्यम्: Vidhaya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (ought to be bathed)

• तीर्थमुख्येषु: in the chief tīrthas
• तीर्थमुख्येषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: 'तीर्थेषु मुख्येषु'

• सत्यम्: true
• सत्यम्: Vidhaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Avyaya (Negation/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चरेषु: among moving beings
• चरेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; 'चर' = चल/जङ्गम (moving beings)

• किम्: what (then)
• किम्: Avyaya (Question/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोग, प्रश्न/विकल्पार्थक (interrogative: what/why)

• तु: but
• तु: Avyaya (Contrast/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/however)

• संविश्य: having entered
• संविश्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विश् (धातु) उपसर्ग-सम्
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), 'सम्+विश्' = having entered/settled

• स्थावरेषु: among immobile beings
• स्थावरेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थावर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; 'स्थावर' = अचल (immobile beings)

• बहिः: outside
• बहिः: Desha (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहिः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशार्थक (adverb: outside)

• स्थितः: standing/remaining
• स्थितः: Vidhaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'standing/being'

Speaker

Suhṛdaya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Suhṛdaya instructs with calm authority: one side shows a flowing river where pilgrims enter; the other shows a still temple tank where pilgrims remain on steps, scooping water externally.

Characters & Entities

• Suhṛdaya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is nuanced: tīrtha-bathing is praised, but method and setting (flowing vs stagnant water) matter.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified; the verse teaches general tīrtha procedure applicable across sacred geographies.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe in chief tīrthas; enter flowing waters, but for still waters follow an outside-bathing protocol.