Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 132

Devanagari script

विवादे च समुत्पन्ने अपराधी च यो मतः । जलहस्तः सदा वाच्यो महीसागरसंगमे

Transliteration

vivāde ca samutpanne aparādhī ca yo mataḥ | jalahastaḥ sadā vācyo mahīsāgarasaṃgame

Translation

വിവാദം ഉണ്ടായി ആരെയെങ്കിലും കുറ്റക്കാരനെന്ന് വിധിച്ചാൽ, മഹീ-സമുദ്ര സംഗമത്തിൽ അവനെ എപ്പോഴും ‘ജലഹസ്ത’ (ജലപരീക്ഷ) ചെയ്യിപ്പിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• विवादे: in a dispute
• विवादे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (Samucchaya/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय अव्यय (conjunction)

• समुत्पन्ने: when arisen/occurred
• समुत्पन्ने: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उत्-√पद्/√पद् (धातु) + उत्पन्न (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (विवादे)

• अपराधी: the offender
• अपराधी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपराधिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (Samucchaya/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय अव्यय

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• मतः: is considered
• मतः: Predicate adjective (Vidhaya/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √मन् (धातु) + मत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण/विधेय (considered)

• जलहस्तः: (one with) water in hand / water-handed (ritual designation)
• जलहस्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल-हस्त (प्रातिपदिक; जल + हस्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (जलस्य हस्तः)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Modifier (Avyaya/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time: always)

• वाच्यः: should be called/declared
• वाच्यः: Predicate adjective (Vidhaya/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √वच् (धातु) + वाच्य (कृदन्त, यत्)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/भाव्य); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (should be called/declared)

• महीसागरसंगमे: at the confluence of earth and ocean
• महीसागरसंगमे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही-सागर-संगम (प्रातिपदिक; मही + सागर + संगम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahīsāgara-saṅgama

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A public dispute scene at the confluence: elders/priestly figures preside; the accused steps forward to perform jala-hasta—hand immersed/raised with water as the divine witness—while the river-sea horizon looms solemnly.

Characters & Entities

• Mahī (river)
• Sāgara (Ocean)
• Saṅgama (confluence)
• Dharma (justice)
• Jala-hasta (ordeal)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through sacred procedures: tīrthas are portrayed as places where truth is tested and wrongdoing is exposed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahī–Sāgara Saṅgama.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The jala-hasta—an ordeal/test involving water and the hand, used as a dhārmic proof in disputes.