Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

यतो देवी सदानेन जलेन स्नाप्यते मया । दत्र प्रक्षिपंस्तोयं मलपापान्न बिभ्यसि

Transliteration

yato devī sadānena jalena snāpyate mayā | datra prakṣipaṃstoyaṃ malapāpānna bibhyasi

Translation

“Kerana dengan air inilah aku sentiasa memandikan Dewi. Namun engkau, ketika mencampakkan air (kotor) ke dalamnya sewaktu membasuh, tidakkah engkau takut akan kekotoran dan dosa?”

Word by Word

• यतः: because
• यतः: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थे (causal adverb: “because/since”)

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karma (Object in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नित्यत्ववाचक (adverb: “always”)

• अनेन: with this
• अनेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (instrumental: “with this”)

• जलेन: water
• जलेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• स्नाप्यते: is bathed/washed
• स्नाप्यते: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु) (णिच्)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान); कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (Instrumental: “by me”)

• दत्र: there (reading uncertain)
• दत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दत्र (अव्यय/पाठभेद)
• Form: अव्यय; पाठभेद/दुर्लभ-रूप; सम्भाव्यं ‘तत्र’ (there) इति

• प्रक्षिपन्: throwing/casting
• प्रक्षिपन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले (present participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• मलपापात्: from filth and sin
• मलपापात्: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल-पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: द्वन्द्व (मलम् च पापम् च); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व); पञ्चमी विभक्ति; एकवचन (Ablative singular)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• बिभ्यसि: you fear
• बिभ्यसि: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भी (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Unidentified being/guardian of Devī-kuṇḍa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devī-kuṇḍa

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The speaker declares he uses the pond’s water to bathe the Goddess; he gestures toward the temple sanctum while accusing Bhīma of casting impurity into the sacred water.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Goddess)
• Devī-kuṇḍa (implied)
• Snāna (ritual bathing)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

What is used in direct deity-worship must be protected from defilement; reverence safeguards merit (puṇya).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Devī-kuṇḍa, whose water is described as fit for the Goddess’s ritual bathing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not contaminate the kuṇḍa water with bodily impurities; it is reserved for Devī’s snāna and sacred use.