Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मण्या चैव शूद्र्या च कुमारीभ्यां विनिर्मितम् । अष्टम्यां च चतुर्दश्यां यस्ताभ्यां स्नानमाचरेत्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇyā caiva śūdryā ca kumārībhyāṃ vinirmitam | aṣṭamyāṃ ca caturdaśyāṃ yastābhyāṃ snānamācaret

Translation

Façonné par deux jeunes filles—l’une brāhmaṇī, l’autre śūdrā—quiconque s’y baigne au huitième et au quatorzième jour lunaire accomplit l’observance prescrite.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मण्या: by a brāhmaṇa woman
• ब्राह्मण्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयाव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avyaya (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• शूद्र्या: by a śūdra woman
• शूद्र्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयाव्यय (conjunction)

• कुमारीभ्याम्: by two maidens
• कुमारीभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन

• विनिर्मितम्: constructed/created
• विनिर्मितम्: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + निर् + मा (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (तीर्थद्वयम् इत्यर्थे)

• अष्टम्याम्: on the eighth (lunar day)
• अष्टम्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरणम्

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयाव्यय (conjunction)

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth (lunar day)
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरणम्

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• ताभ्याम्: in/with those two (tīrthas)
• ताभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन; (तयोः तीर्थयोः)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आचरेत्: should perform
• आचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra tīrtha-dvaya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two maidens—one depicted with Brāhmaṇī markers, one with Śūdrā markers—consecrate or indicate the two tīrthas; pilgrims bathe at dawn on aṣṭamī and caturdaśī under a crescent/moonlit sky motif.

Characters & Entities

• Two Kumārikās
• Brāhmaṇī
• Śūdrā
• Aṣṭamī
• Caturdaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred bathing, aligned with auspicious lunar days, is presented as a dharmic means that supports higher spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The two tīrthas in Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra, created by the two maidens.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform snāna (ritual bathing) at the two tīrthas on Aṣṭamī (8th tithi) and Caturdaśī (14th tithi).