Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

पंचगव्यस्य संपूर्णो यथा कुम्भः प्रदुष्यति । बिंदुनैकेन मद्यस्य पतितेन नृपोत्तम

Transliteration

paṃcagavyasya saṃpūrṇo yathā kumbhaḥ praduṣyati | biṃdunaikena madyasya patitena nṛpottama

Translation

ഹേ നൃപോത്തമാ! പഞ്ചഗവ്യം നിറഞ്ഞ കുംഭത്തിൽ മദ്യത്തിന്റെ ഒരു തുള്ളി വീണാൽ അത് ദൂഷിതമാകുന്നതുപോലെ, പവിത്രകർമ്മവും അല്പമായെങ്കിലും മലിനമായ കലർച്ചകൊണ്ട് നശിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• पञ्चगव्यस्य: of pañcagavya (five cow-products mixture)
• पञ्चगव्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + गव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (पञ्चानां गव्यानाम् समाहारः)

• संपूर्णः: completely full
• संपूर्णः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संपूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘कुम्भः’)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक अव्यय (as/just as)

• कुम्भः: a pot
• कुम्भः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्रदुष्यति: gets spoiled/tainted
• प्रदुष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-दुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• बिन्दुना: by a drop
• बिन्दुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करणवाचक

• एकेन: one
• एकेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; संख्या-विशेषण (qualifying ‘बिन्दुना’)

• मद्यस्य: of liquor
• मद्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• पतितेन: fallen (into it)
• पतितेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पतित (पत् धातु, क्त/कृदन्त; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषण (qualifying ‘बिन्दुना’)

• नृपोत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नृपेषु उत्तमः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpoत्तम (best of kings) explicitly addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic teaching image: a full pot labeled pañcagavya; a tiny drop of liquor falling into it; observers (a king and a sage) contemplate the consequence—didactic clarity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity in dharmic rites is delicate; even a small impurity can undermine the intended merit (puṇya).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching appears within a tīrtha-māhātmya context, emphasizing how to preserve the sanctity of rites performed at holy places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Maintain strict ritual purity; avoid defiling elements that can invalidate śrāddha and related offerings.