Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 133

Devanagari script

संस्नाप्याघोरमंत्रेण स्थाप्य नाभिप्रमाणके । जले करं समुद्धृत्य दक्षिणं वाचयेद्द्रुतम्

Transliteration

saṃsnāpyāghoramaṃtreṇa sthāpya nābhipramāṇake | jale karaṃ samuddhṛtya dakṣiṇaṃ vācayeddrutam

Translation

अघोर मंत्राने स्नान घालून, नाभीपर्यंत पाण्यात उभे करून, उजवा हात पाण्याबाहेर काढून त्वरित मंत्रोच्चार करावा.

Word by Word

• संस्नाप्य: having bathed/washed (him/it)
• संस्नाप्य: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपदी-धातु; अव्ययभावेन क्रियाविशेषणम् (having bathed/washed)

• अघोरमंत्रेण: with the Aghora mantra
• अघोरमंत्रेण: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघोर + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अघोरस्य मन्त्रः)

• स्थाप्य: having placed/installed
• स्थाप्य: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपदी; अव्ययभावेन (having placed/installed)

• नाभिप्रमाणके: at (a level) of navel-measure / up to the navel
• नाभिप्रमाणके: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाभि + प्रमाणक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (नाभेः प्रमाणम् = नाभिप्रमाणम्, तद्वत्)

• जले: in water
• जले: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• करम्: hand
• करम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• समुद्धृत्य: having lifted up
• समुद्धृत्य: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उद् + हृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपदी; अव्ययभावेन (having lifted up)

• दक्षिणम्: right (hand)
• दक्षिणम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (करम् इति)

• वाचयेत्: should cause to be recited / should recite
• वाचयेत्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वाचय् (णिजन्त causative) √वच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)

• द्रुतम्: quickly
• द्रुतम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्रुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sangama (contextual)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual officiant guides a person standing waist-deep in a river confluence; the right hand is lifted above the water as Aghora-mantra bathing concludes; attendants hold vessels and darbha; the current swirls at the sangam.

Characters & Entities

• Aghora mantra
• Mahī–Sāgara Saṅgama
• Jala-hasta (ordeal)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma integrates mantra and ritual discipline, presenting sacred acts as instruments for truth and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ritual context continues at Mahī–Sāgara Saṅgama.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A navel-deep water placement, Aghora-mantra bathing, and raising the hand to recite the right-hand invocation as part of the ordeal.