Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

यतो देवी सदानेन जलेन स्नाप्यते मया । दत्र प्रक्षिपंस्तोयं मलपापान्न बिभ्यसि

Transliteration

yato devī sadānena jalena snāpyate mayā | datra prakṣipaṃstoyaṃ malapāpānna bibhyasi

Translation

കാരണം ഇതേ ജലത്താൽ ഞാൻ നിത്യം ദേവിയെ സ്നാനിപ്പിക്കുന്നു. എന്നിട്ടും നീ ഇതിലേക്കു വെള്ളം ചേർത്ത് മലവും പാപവും ഭയപ്പെടുന്നില്ല!

Word by Word

• यतः: because
• यतः: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थे (causal adverb: “because/since”)

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karma (Object in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नित्यत्ववाचक (adverb: “always”)

• अनेन: with this
• अनेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (instrumental: “with this”)

• जलेन: water
• जलेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• स्नाप्यते: is bathed/washed
• स्नाप्यते: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु) (णिच्)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान); कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (Instrumental: “by me”)

• दत्र: there (reading uncertain)
• दत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दत्र (अव्यय/पाठभेद)
• Form: अव्यय; पाठभेद/दुर्लभ-रूप; सम्भाव्यं ‘तत्र’ (there) इति

• प्रक्षिपन्: throwing/casting
• प्रक्षिपन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले (present participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• मलपापात्: from filth and sin
• मलपापात्: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल-पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: द्वन्द्व (मलम् च पापम् च); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व); पञ्चमी विभक्ति; एकवचन (Ablative singular)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• बिभ्यसि: you fear
• बिभ्यसि: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भी (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Unidentified being/guardian of Devī-kuṇḍa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devī-kuṇḍa

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The speaker declares he uses the pond’s water to bathe the Goddess; he gestures toward the temple sanctum while accusing Bhīma of casting impurity into the sacred water.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Goddess)
• Devī-kuṇḍa (implied)
• Snāna (ritual bathing)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

What is used in direct deity-worship must be protected from defilement; reverence safeguards merit (puṇya).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Devī-kuṇḍa, whose water is described as fit for the Goddess’s ritual bathing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not contaminate the kuṇḍa water with bodily impurities; it is reserved for Devī’s snāna and sacred use.