Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

मलस्नानं विना मार्गे पादाभ्यंगविवर्जितः । मलधारी क्षीणतनुर्यष्टिहस्तो जितेन्द्रियः

Transliteration

malasnānaṃ vinā mārge pādābhyaṃgavivarjitaḥ | maladhārī kṣīṇatanuryaṣṭihasto jitendriyaḥ

Translation

Sur la route, sans bain de purification ni onction des pieds; portant poussière et souillure, le corps amaigri, le bâton en main, et les sens maîtrisés—

Word by Word

• मलस्नानम्: bathing (with cleansing)
• मलस्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मलेन स्नानम्/मलस्य स्नानम्)

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश-अव्यय/निपात; ‘without’; द्वितीयासहयोगी

• मार्गे: on the road / on the way
• मार्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative, 7th), एकवचन

• पादाभ्यङ्ग: foot-massage / anointing of the feet
• पादाभ्यङ्ग: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद + अभ्यङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासपूर्वपद); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पादानाम् अभ्यङ्गः)

• विवर्जितः: devoid of / abstaining from
• विवर्जितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + वर्ज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकाले कर्मणि कृदन्तः (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘विवर्जित’ = वर्जित/रहित

• मलधारी: bearing dirt / unclean
• मलधारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मल + धारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मलं धारयति)

• क्षीणतनुः: thin-bodied / emaciated
• क्षीणतनुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षीण + तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (क्षीणा तनुः यस्य)

• यष्टिहस्तः: having a staff in hand
• यष्टिहस्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यष्टि + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (यष्टिः हस्ते यस्य)

• जितेन्द्रियः: self-controlled
• जितेन्द्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (जितानि इन्द्रियाणि यस्य)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (approach-mārga)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhūpati (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone pilgrim on a long road: dust on skin and clothes, lean body, staff in hand, un-oiled feet, eyes lowered in restraint; the landscape is arid-coastal with distant shrines, conveying endurance.

Characters & Entities

• staff (yaṣṭi)
• sense-control (jitendriya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Endurance and restraint during yātrā are themselves offerings; hardship becomes worship when guided by self-control.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra, by describing the austere pilgrim’s manner of approach.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Adopt an austere travel discipline—renounce comforts, remain self-controlled, and proceed with a staff like a vow-bound pilgrim.