Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

सप्तमं लवणं प्रोक्तमष्टमं च सुजीरकम् । तोलयेत्तुलया वापि सांघ्रिश्च तुलिता भवेत्

Transliteration

saptamaṃ lavaṇaṃ proktamaṣṭamaṃ ca sujīrakam | tolayettulayā vāpi sāṃghriśca tulitā bhavet

Translation

ഏഴാമത്തെ ദ്രവ്യം ലവണമെന്നു പ്രസ്താവിച്ചു; എട്ടാമത് സുജീരകം. തുലാസിൽ ശരിയായി തൂക്കണം; അപ്പോൾ ആ യുഗളം യഥാവിധി തൂക്കപ്പെട്ടതാകും.

Word by Word

• सप्तमम्: the seventh
• सप्तमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तम (प्रातिपदिक; सप्तन्-शब्दात् क्रमवाचक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषणम्

• लवणम्: salt
• लवणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रोक्तम्: declared/said
• प्रोक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘said/declared’

• अष्टमम्: the eighth
• अष्टमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टम (प्रातिपदिक; अष्टन्-शब्दात् क्रमवाचक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• सुजीरकम्: good cumin
• सुजीरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु- (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + जीरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (सु + जीरक)

• तोलयेत्: should weigh
• तोलयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुल् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तुलया: with a balance/scale
• तुलया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपात (also/even)

• सांघ्रिः: (a) sāṃghri (name/term)
• सांघ्रिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सांघ्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• तुलिता: weighed
• तुलिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुल् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘weighed’

• भवेत्: should be/become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Śrī Devī (the Goddess)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual setting where offerings are arranged; a devotee uses a balance to weigh salt and fine cumin as part of a prescribed sequence of eight items.

Characters & Entities

• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is carried through careful observance: even small ritual details, done precisely, express sincerity and discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; this is a procedural detail within a vrata context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Including salt as the seventh item and cumin as the eighth, and weighing them properly using a scale (tulā).