Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

न स्नानं क्रियते नित्यं न मंत्रो जप्यते शुचिः । नाराध्यते त्वयेशानः कथं मां स्प्रष्टुमर्हसि

Transliteration

na snānaṃ kriyate nityaṃ na maṃtro japyate śuciḥ | nārādhyate tvayeśānaḥ kathaṃ māṃ spraṣṭumarhasi

Translation

നീ നിത്യസ്നാനം ചെയ്യുന്നില്ല, ശുചിത്വത്തോടെ മന്ത്രജപം ചെയ്യുന്നില്ല, ഈശാനൻ (ശിവൻ)നെ ആരാധിക്കുന്നതുമില്ല; അങ്ങനെ ഇരിക്കെ എന്നെ സ്പർശിക്കാൻ നീ എങ്ങനെ യോഗ്യൻ?

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध-अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगे कर्म-भावः

• क्रियते: is done
• क्रियते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive)

• नित्यम्: daily/always
• नित्यम्: Adhikaraṇa (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभूतम् (adverbial accusative)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध-अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः

• मन्त्रः: mantra
• मन्त्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) एकवचनम्

• जप्यते: is recited
• जप्यते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive)

• शुचिः: pure
• शुचिः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (मन्त्रस्य)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध-अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः; ‘न + आराध्यते’ → ‘नाराध्यते’

• आराध्यते: is worshipped
• आराध्यते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + राध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया) एकवचनम्

• ईशानः: Īśāna (Shiva)
• ईशानः: Karma (Object in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) एकवचनम्

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्ययम् (interrogative adverb)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-रूपम् (accusative singular)

• स्प्रष्टुम्: to touch
• स्प्रष्टुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive)

• अर्हसि: you are fit/deserve
• अर्हसि: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Queen

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The queen enumerates three neglected disciplines; visual split-panel: (1) dawn bath, (2) seated japa with rosary, (3) Śiva-liṅga worship—each shown as absent around the king, emphasizing omission.

Characters & Entities

• Īśāna (Śiva)
• King
• Queen

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer cleanliness, inner purity, and devotion to Śiva support dharma; without them, one becomes unfit for sacred intimacy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse stresses daily disciplines rather than sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daily snāna (bathing), śuci (purity), mantra-japa, and worship (ārādhanā) of Īśāna (Śiva).