Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

हृत्कण्ठ तालुगाभिश्च यथावर्णं द्विजातयः । शुध्येरन्स्त्री च शूद्रश्च सकृत्स्पृष्टाभिरंततः

Transliteration

hṛtkaṇṭha tālugābhiśca yathāvarṇaṃ dvijātayaḥ | śudhyeranstrī ca śūdraśca sakṛtspṛṣṭābhiraṃtataḥ

Translation

ഹൃദയം, കണ്ഠം, താലു എന്നിവയെ സ്പർശിക്കുന്ന ശുദ്ധികര ജലത്താൽ ദ്വിജർ തങ്ങളുടെ തത്ത്വവിധിപ്രകാരം ശുദ്ധരാകുന്നു; സ്ത്രീയും ശൂദ്രനും പോലും ആ ജലം ഒരിക്കൽ സ്പർശിച്ചാൽ സർവ്വതോഭാവേന ശുദ്ധരാകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• हृत्कण्ठतालुगाभिः: with (waters touching) heart, throat, palate, and ‘gā’ (organs/parts)
• हृत्कण्ठतालुगाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृत् (प्रातिपदिक) + कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + तालु (प्रातिपदिक) + गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural; समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (हृच्च कण्ठश्च तालु च गाश्च)

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

• यथावर्णम्: according to (one’s) varṇa
• यथावर्णम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्यय (according to caste/class)

• द्विजातयः: the twice-born (classes)
• द्विजातयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; Nominative plural; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः (द्विजातयः = twice-born)

• शुध्येरन्: should be purified
• शुध्येरन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शुध् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; should be purified / should become pure

• स्त्री: a woman
• स्त्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (woman)

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

• शूद्रः: a Śūdra
• शूद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (Śūdra)

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

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/आवृत्तिवाचक-अव्यय; adverb (once)

• स्पृष्टाभिः: with (waters) that have touched
• स्पृष्टाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्पृश् (धातु) → स्पृष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (touched)

• अन्ततः: finally/at the end
• अन्ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/पर्यवसानार्थक-अव्यय; adverb (finally/at the end/altogether)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya didactic narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of pilgrims of varied social stations receive sanctified water: dvijas performing formal ācamana, while others receive sprinkling/touch; subtle depiction of water touching throat and palate through gesture and posture.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a single contact with consecrated tīrtha-water, received properly, is praised as a powerful means of purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks generally of tīrtha-water within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya context; the specific site is not named in this single verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Purification through the touch/flow of holy water reaching the heart, throat, and palate—implying sipping (ācamana) and sanctifying contact.