Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

मातरं पितरं पूज्यं स्पृशेत्साधारणं त्विदम् । कोशस्य रूपं पूर्वं ते व्याख्यातं पांडुनंदन

Transliteration

mātaraṃ pitaraṃ pūjyaṃ spṛśetsādhāraṇaṃ tvidam | kośasya rūpaṃ pūrvaṃ te vyākhyātaṃ pāṃḍunaṃdana

Translation

Seseorang boleh menyentuh ibu, ayah, atau orang yang patut dimuliakan—ini adalah aturan umum. Wahai putra Pāṇḍu, bentuk ‘kośa’ telah dijelaskan kepadamu sebelumnya.

Word by Word

• मातरम्: mother
• मातरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• पितरम्: father
• पितरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• पूज्यम्: worthy of worship
• पूज्यम्: Karman (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज्य (प्रातिपदिक; √पूज् से)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (यत्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (to be worshipped)

• स्पृशेत्: should touch
• स्पृशेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

• साधारणम्: common/general
• साधारणम्: Karman (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साधारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• कोशस्य: of the sheath/case
• कोशस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• रूपम्: form/nature
• रूपम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (here: object of implied 'told' or subject of 'vyākhyātam')

• पूर्वम्: previously
• पूर्वम्: Sambandha (Temporal adverb/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly/previously)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th) एकवचन (or षष्ठी एकवचन; here: 'to you')

• व्याख्यातम्: explained
• व्याख्यातम्: Kriya (Predicate as participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + आ + √ख्या (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन

• पाण्डुनन्दन: O son of Pāṇḍu
• पाण्डुनन्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डु (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: पाण्डोः नन्दनः); पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative); एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced); addressing a Pāṇḍava-descended interlocutor within the narrative frame

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍunandana

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic moment: Skanda (or a sage) instructs the Pāṇḍava; in the foreground a devotee respectfully touches mother and father’s feet and then an elder’s hand, indicating permitted sparśa; a ‘kośa’ (ritual receptacle) is shown nearby as previously explained.

Characters & Entities

• Mother
• Father
• Pāṇḍunandana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Elders embody dharma; invoking them as touch-witnesses reinforces accountability and reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general oath-touch practice: touching mother, father, or a venerable person as part of solemn affirmation.