Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

औत्तानपादिरस्पृश्य उत्तमो हि सुरैः कृतः । अथ चेत्तत्र संयामि न महीसागरस्ततः

Transliteration

auttānapādiraspṛśya uttamo hi suraiḥ kṛtaḥ | atha cettatra saṃyāmi na mahīsāgarastataḥ

Translation

ಔತ್ತಾನಪಾದಿ ಧ್ರುವನೂ ಕೂಡ, ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಅಸ್ಪೃಶ್ಯನೆಂದು ಎಣಿಸಲ್ಪಟ್ಟಿದ್ದರೂ, ದೇವತೆಗಳಿಂದ ಪರಮೋತ್ತಮ ಸ್ಥಾನಕ್ಕೆ ಏರಿಸಲ್ಪಟ್ಟನು. ಆದರೆ ನಾನು ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಹೋದರೆ, ಈ ಭೂಮಿ-ಸಾಗರ ಸಂಗಮವು ನನಗೆ ಮತ್ತೆ (ಲಭ್ಯ) ಇರದು.

Word by Word

• औत्तानपादिः: Auttānapādi (a person)
• औत्तानपादिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: औत्तानपादि (प्रातिपदिक; patronymic/name)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अस्पृश्यः: untouchable
• अस्पृश्यः: Vidhेय (predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (निषेध) + स्पृश्य (प्रातिपदिक; from स्पृश् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-यत् (gerundive) with negation, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उत्तमः: excellent, best
• उत्तमः: Visheshana (विशेषण) / predicate adjective
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (superlative sense)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात

• सुरैः: by the gods
• सुरैः: Kartr̥ (agent) in passive (कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Instrumental plural)

• कृतः: made/declared
• कृतः: Kriyā (predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-क्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे 'made/declared'

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/प्रस्तावार्थक-अव्यय (then/now)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Condition marker (शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle 'if')

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• संयामि: I restrain
• संयामि: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु) + सम् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; अर्थे 'I restrain/hold back'

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• महीसागरः: the great ocean
• महीसागरः: Karta (कर्ता) (of implied अस्ति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक) + सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (महीनां सागरः = 'ocean of the earth' / 'great ocean')

• ततः: therefore/from that
• ततः: Hetu/Source marker (हेतु/अपादानार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: तस्मात्/ततः इत्यर्थे अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'therefore/from that')

Speaker

Same narrator (reflective voice) within Sūta’s discourse (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahī-sāgara-saṅgama (as indicated)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a dramatic shoreline confluence where river meets ocean; he recalls Dhruva’s ascent—shown as a child-sage rising toward a star—while the pilgrim hesitates, torn between going elsewhere and staying at the saṅgama.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva (Auttānapādi)
• Devas
• Mahī-sāgara-saṅgama (confluence of earth and ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even one considered impure can be elevated by divine grace; yet discernment about where to go and what dharma requires remains crucial.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahī-sāgara-saṅgama—described as a sacred confluence of land (mahī) and ocean (sāgara).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is stated; the verse frames a pilgrimage decision connected to the sanctity of a saṅgama.