Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

उपरिष्टात्तच्च चूर्णं धार्यं गोवाटसंभवम् । यावद्वक्त्रप्रमाणं च वर्जयित्वा स्वमाननम्

Transliteration

upariṣṭāttacca cūrṇaṃ dhāryaṃ govāṭasaṃbhavam | yāvadvaktrapramāṇaṃ ca varjayitvā svamānanam

Translation

Et au-dessus (du corps), que l’on dépose cette poudre issue de l’enclos des vaches, jusqu’à la mesure du visage, en excluant la pleine mesure de son propre visage.

Word by Word

• उपरिष्टात्: above; on top
• उपरिष्टात्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपरिष्टात् (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: above/on top)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; ‘that’ (चूर्णम् इत्यर्थे)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• चूर्णम्: powder
• चूर्णम्: Karya/vidheya (That to be done/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• धार्यम्: should be placed/kept
• धार्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘to be held/placed’ (चूर्णम् इति विधेयविशेषण)

• गोवाटसंभवम्: originating from cow-dung/cow-pen
• गोवाटसंभवम्: Karya-viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोवाट + संभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; ‘arisen from cow-dung/cow-pen’ (चूर्णम् इति विशेषण)

• यावत्: as much as; up to
• यावत्: Pramāṇa (Measure/परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (as much as)

• वक्त्रप्रमाणम्: the measure of the mouth
• वक्त्रप्रमाणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र + प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; ‘mouth-measure’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वर्जयित्वा: excluding; having avoided
• वर्जयित्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having avoided/excluding’

• स्वमाननम्: one’s own measure
• स्वमाननम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + मानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; ‘one’s own measuring/measure’

Speaker

Brāhmaṇa (ritual instructor)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tiṃginī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sāmba (Yādava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devotee lies in the prepared pit; attendants gently heap cow-pen powder over the body while leaving the face area clear; the brāhmaṇa oversees, ensuring the ‘vaktreṇa pramāṇa’ limit is respected.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Expiation is not random suffering; it is a measured, rule-bound discipline intended for purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage continues the Tiṃginī-centered expiation narrative within the tīrtha-māhātmya framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Cover/heap the govāṭa-derived powder above the body up to the specified ‘face-measure’ (vaktra-pramāṇa).