Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

चंदनोदकधाराभी रामनाथं महेश्वरम् । स्नापयेत्पुरुषो विप्रा गांधर्वं लोकमाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

caṃdanodakadhārābhī rāmanāthaṃ maheśvaram | snāpayetpuruṣo viprā gāṃdharvaṃ lokamāpnuyāt

Translation

ഹേ വിപ്രന്മാരേ! ചന്ദനജലധാരകളാൽ രാമനാഥ മഹേശ്വരനെ അഭിഷേകം ചെയ്യുന്ന പുരുഷൻ ഗന്ധർവലോകം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• चन्दन: sandalwood
• चन्दन: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे पूर्वपद (समासाङ्ग), एकवचन (stem-form)

• उदक: water
• उदक: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे पूर्वपद (समासाङ्ग), एकवचन (stem-form)

• धाराभिः: with streams (of water)
• धाराभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (चन्दन-उदक-धारा), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• रामनाथम्: Rāmanātha
• रामनाथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक) + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रामस्य नाथः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• महेश्वरम्: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘रामनाथम्’ विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• स्नापयेत्: should bathe
• स्नापयेत्: Kriya (Verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; अर्थः ‘should bathe (cause to bathe)’

• पुरुषः: a person
• पुरुषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विप्राः: O brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अत्र संबोधनार्थे (हे विप्राः) सम्भाव्य

• गान्धर्वम्: Gandharva-related
• गान्धर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गान्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘लोकम्’ विशेषण

• लोकम्: world/realm
• लोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आप्नुयात्: should attain
• आप्नुयात्: Kriya (Verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; अर्थः ‘should attain’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmanātha (Rāmeśvara)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viprāḥ (explicit vocative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Cool sandal-water streams cascade over the liṅga like pale ribbons; the air is fragrant; faint gandharva imagery appears as musicians in the background—veena and flute—suggesting the promised realm; lamps glow softly against temple stone.

Characters & Entities

• Rāmanātha
• Maheśvara
• Gandharvas
• Gāndharvaloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Refined offerings made with devotion at a mahā-tīrtha are taught to elevate the worshipper to higher celestial states.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāmanātha Maheśvara at Setu (Rāmeśvaram).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abhiṣeka of Rāmanātha Maheśvara with streams of sandal-infused water (candana-udaka-dhārā).