Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 116

Devanagari script

स्नातमात्रस्य ते हस्ताद्यत्र तत्पतति क्षितौ । तेजः संजायतेगात्रे दुर्गंधश्च प्रणश्यति

Transliteration

snātamātrasya te hastādyatra tatpatati kṣitau | tejaḥ saṃjāyategātre durgaṃdhaśca praṇaśyati

Translation

സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത ഉടൻ, നിന്റെ കൈയിൽ നിന്ന് അത് ഭൂമിയിൽ എവിടെ വീഴുന്നുവോ, അതേ ക്ഷണത്തിൽ നിന്റെ ദേഹത്തിൽ തേജസ് ഉദിച്ച് ദുർഗന്ധം നശിക്കും.

Word by Word

• स्नातमात्रस्य: of (one) just bathed
• स्नातमात्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्नात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (स्नातस्य मात्रम् = just-bathed); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; 'ते' इति (सम्बन्धे)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• हस्तात्: from (the) hand
• हस्तात्: Apādāna (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (relative adverb)

• तत्: that (thing)
• तत्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• पतति: falls
• पतति: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• क्षितौ: on the ground
• क्षितौ: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तेजः: radiance; energy
• तेजः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• संजायते: is produced; arises
• संजायते: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• गात्रे: in the body
• गात्रे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• दुर्गन्धः: bad smell
• दुर्गन्धः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (दुष्टः गन्धः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय

• प्रणश्यति: perishes; disappears
• प्रणश्यति: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Brahmā (instructing Śakra/Indra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A close, almost cinematic moment: droplets fall from the bather’s hand to the riverbank earth; simultaneously a subtle aura brightens around the body, while dark miasma-like fumes (foul odor) dissipate into the air.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Śakra (Indra)
• kapāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrtha-bathing removes inner and outer impurity, manifesting as renewed tejas (spiritual radiance).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to a particular sanctified spot where the kapāla falls after snāna; the named site appears shortly after as Viśvāmitra-hrada within Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at the tīrtha, after which the kapāla is to fall at a divinely marked place, bringing purification.