Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

गोचर्मणि समालग्नः शुद्धिकामस्य तस्य च । प्रष्टव्यास्तु ततस्तेन सर्व एव द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

gocarmaṇi samālagnaḥ śuddhikāmasya tasya ca | praṣṭavyāstu tatastena sarva eva dvijottamāḥ

Translation

Et, une peau de vache ayant été étendue comme siège ou tapis pour celui qui cherche la purification, il doit alors consulter tous les brāhmaṇas éminents.

Word by Word

• गोचर्मणि: on the cowhide
• गोचर्मणि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + चर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गोः चर्म = cowhide)

• समालग्नः: having clung/attached (seated close)
• समालग्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-लग् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शुद्धिकामस्य: of the one desiring purification
• शुद्धिकामस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शुद्धिं कामयते इति)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• प्रष्टव्याः: should be asked
• प्रष्टव्याः: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तु: indeed / then
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनन्तर-अर्थे

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• एव: indeed / only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphasis)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: the best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः

Speaker

Unspecified (procedural narration within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gartā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cowhide is spread as a ground-cover/seat for the purification-seeker; around him, brāhmaṇas are arranged to be consulted, suggesting a formal council-like ritual consultation.

Characters & Entities

• gocarma (cowhide)
• dvijottama (excellent brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is pursued through orderly, tradition-bound conduct—proper ritual setting and guidance from the learned are integral.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Gartā-tīrtha-linked sequence in Adhyāya 201, focusing on procedure rather than naming additional sites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arranging a cowhide as part of the rite and formally consulting all the dvijottamas regarding the purification.