Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

स्त्रीशूद्रावाथ संस्पर्शमात्रेणापि विशुध्यतः । शिरः शब्दं सकंठं वा जले मुक्तशिखोऽपि वा

Transliteration

strīśūdrāvātha saṃsparśamātreṇāpi viśudhyataḥ | śiraḥ śabdaṃ sakaṃṭhaṃ vā jale muktaśikho'pi vā

Translation

സ്ത്രീകളും ശൂദ്രരും സ്പർശനം കൊണ്ട് മാത്രം ശുദ്ധരാകുന്നു. വെള്ളത്തിൽ മുടി അഴിച്ചിട്ടിരിക്കുകയാണെങ്കിലും തല, ഇന്ദ്രിയങ്ങൾ, തൊണ്ട എന്നിവ സ്പർശിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• स्त्रीशूद्रौ: woman and Śūdra
• स्त्रीशूद्रौ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री + शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (समाहार/द्वन्द्वे प्रायः पुं), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• अथ: then/and
• अथ: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/समुच्चयार्थक (particle)

• संस्पर्शमात्रेण: by mere contact
• संस्पर्शमात्रेण: Karana/Hetu (करण/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संस्पर्शमात्र (प्रातिपदिक; संस्पर्श + मात्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेतौ/करणे

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चय (particle)

• विशुध्यतः: they become purified
• विशुध्यतः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शुध् (धातु; शुद्धौ)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, द्विवचन; आत्मनेपद

• शिरः: the head
• शिरः: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• शब्दम्: a sound/utterance
• शब्दम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सकण्ठम्: together with the throat / up to the throat
• सकण्ठम्: Karma (extent/object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; सह + कण्ठ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying implied act/extent)

• वा: or
• वा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive)

• जले: in water
• जले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• मुक्तशिखः: with loosened topknot
• मुक्तशिखः: Karta (implied)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्तशिख (प्रातिपदिक; मुक्त + शिखा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of an implied person)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अवधान

• वा: or
• वा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक

Speaker

Sūta (deduced, Brāhma Khaṇḍa narration style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at a water source; a woman and a śūdra traveler touch water to head and throat; hair loosened as if after bathing; emphasis on accessibility of purification.

Characters & Entities

• Strī
• Śūdra
• Śauca
• Ācamana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma emphasizes accessible means of purity; intention and prescribed method matter, not complexity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No external pilgrimage site is specified; the focus is on bodily purification procedures.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Purification is indicated through water-contact and touching key parts (head, sense-openings, throat), even when one is in water with hair loosened.