Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

तैलाभ्यंगं नरः कृत्वा यश्च स्नानं करोति न । स दत्तो भोजनार्थाय युष्माकं नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

tailābhyaṃgaṃ naraḥ kṛtvā yaśca snānaṃ karoti na | sa datto bhojanārthāya yuṣmākaṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

L’homme qui s’enduit d’huile et pourtant ne se baigne pas est livré pour votre nourriture ; il n’y a là aucun doute.

Word by Word

• तैल-अभ्यङ्गम्: oil massage/anointing with oil
• तैल-अभ्यङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तैल (प्रातिपदिक) + अभ्यङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘तैलस्य अभ्यङ्गः’; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative sg (oil-massage)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative sg

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: अव्ययभावे कृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), क्त्वा-प्रत्यय — having done

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Relative pronoun; nominative sg

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• स्नानम्: bath
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative sg

• करोति: does, performs
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — does/performs

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• सः: he/that man
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Demonstrative pronoun; nominative sg

• दत्तः: given/handed over
• दत्तः: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — given/handed over (predicate)

• भोजन-अर्थाय: for eating/for food
• भोजन-अर्थाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रयोजनार्थक-तत्पुरुष; चतुर्थी, एकवचन — for the purpose of food/eating

• युष्माकम्: of you (pl.)
• युष्माकम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन — Genitive plural

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय; अत्र ‘न’ = ‘न’ (not)

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

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

Speaker

Unspecified (deduced: narrator voice in Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A man with oil-smeared body sits neglectfully without bathing; nearby a tīrtha-ghāṭa or river glimmers invitingly; shadowy entities gesture as if claiming him due to impurity; the contrast highlights the corrective act of snāna.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity is not optional in dharmic life; incomplete cleansing after oiling is condemned as negligence with dire consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

After tailābhyaṅga (oil application), one should perform snāna (bath) as a rule of śauca.