Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

इमं मंत्रं समुच्चार्य प्रसन्नेंद्रियमानसः । कुशोऽसि त्वं पवित्रोऽसि विष्णुना विधृतः पुरा

Transliteration

imaṃ maṃtraṃ samuccārya prasanneṃdriyamānasaḥ | kuśo'si tvaṃ pavitro'si viṣṇunā vidhṛtaḥ purā

Translation

ഇന്ദ്രിയങ്ങളും മനസ്സും പ്രസന്നമാക്കി ഈ മന്ത്രം ഉച്ചരിക്കണം— ‘നീ കുശയാണ്, നീ പവിത്രമാണ്; പുരാതനകാലത്ത് വിഷ്ണു നിന്നെ ധരിച്ചു നിലനിർത്തി।’

Word by Word

• imam: this
• imam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative singular)

• mantram: mantra
• mantram: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative singular)

• samuccārya: having recited/uttered
• samuccārya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam-ud-√car (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘समुच्चार्य’ = properly/fully uttering

• prasanna: calm/clear
• prasanna: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prasanna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन — समासाङ्ग (Masculine, Nom. sg., compound member)

• indriya: of the senses
• indriya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-बहुवचन — समासाङ्ग (Neuter, Gen. pl., compound member)

• mānasaḥ: (one) with calm senses and mind
• mānasaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative singular); समासः: prasanna + indriya + mānasa (बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘one whose senses and mind are calm’)

• kuśaḥ: kuśa grass
• kuśaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative singular)

• asi: you are
• asi: Kriyā (Copula)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन (Present, Parasmaipada, 2nd sg.)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-एकवचन (2nd person pronoun, Nominative singular)

• pavitraḥ: pure/sacred
• pavitraḥ: Predicative complement (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pavitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative singular)

• asi: you are
• asi: Kriyā (Copula)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन (Present, 2nd sg.)

• viṣṇunā: by Viṣṇu
• viṣṇunā: Karaṇa/Kartṛ (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental singular)

• vidhṛtaḥ: held/sustained
• vidhṛtaḥ: Predicative complement
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (PPP, Masculine, Nom. sg.)

• purā: formerly/once
• purā: Kāla (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: formerly)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setutīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up ritual moment: hands hold a fresh kuśa bundle over a copper vessel; the mantra is visually suggested as flowing script; behind, a faint Viṣṇu sustaining motif (cosmic support) indicates ‘Viṣṇunā vidhṛtaḥ purā’.

Characters & Entities

• Kuśa
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity in rites is supported by mantra and sacred materials; kuśa is revered as divinely upheld.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to Setu Māhātmya, where tīrtha-rites are performed with sanctified implements.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Chant a specific mantra to consecrate kuśa with a calm mind before using it in tīrtha rituals.