Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

कुशाग्रेणापि कौन्तेय न स्पृष्टव्यो महोदधिः । अनेन तत्र मन्त्रेण स्नातव्यं नृपसत्तम

Transliteration

kuśāgreṇāpi kaunteya na spṛṣṭavyo mahodadhiḥ | anena tatra mantreṇa snātavyaṃ nṛpasattama

Translation

Wahai putera Kuntī, lautan besar jangan disentuh walau dengan hujung rumput kuśa. Di sana, wahai raja yang terbaik, hendaklah mandi dengan mantra ini.

Word by Word

• कुशाग्रेण: with the tip of a kuśa grass
• कुशाग्रेण: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; कुशस्य अग्रं (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• कौन्तेय: O son of Kuntī
• कौन्तेय: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौन्तेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• स्पृष्टव्यः: should be touched
• स्पृष्टव्यः: Kriya (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligative), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (to be touched)

• महोदधिः: the great ocean
• महोदधिः: Karta (Subject/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + उदधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; महान् उदधिः (कर्मधारय)

• अनेन: by this
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (instrumental: by this)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• मन्त्रेण: with the mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• स्नातव्यम्: (it is) to be bathed/one should bathe
• स्नातव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्तरि-भाव (one should bathe)

• नृपसत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; नृपाणां सत्तमः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Narrator addressing Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā-udadhi-saṅgama (restricted ocean-contact zone)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A Pāṇḍava addressed as ‘Kaunteya’; also ‘nṛpasattama’ indicates royal addressee

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A priest instructs a royal pilgrim: kuśa-grass held aloft but not touching the sea; the pilgrim stands at the edge, reciting mantra, while attendants hold water vessels; the confluence churns behind.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira (Kaunteya)
• Mahodadhi (Ocean)
• Kuśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha practice is governed by restraint and rule: reverence expresses itself through careful ritual boundaries and mantra-led action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The mahodadhi (ocean) at the Narmadā–Sāgara-saṅgama within the Revā-khaṇḍa pilgrimage circuit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not physically touch the ocean (even with kuśa); instead perform snāna accompanied by the stated mantra.