Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

पंचगव्यस्य संपूर्णो यथा कुम्भः प्रदुष्यति । बिंदुनैकेन मद्यस्य पतितेन नृपोत्तम

Transliteration

paṃcagavyasya saṃpūrṇo yathā kumbhaḥ praduṣyati | biṃdunaikena madyasya patitena nṛpottama

Translation

Wahai raja yang utama, sebagaimana sebuah tempayan yang penuh dengan pañcagavya (lima hasil lembu) menjadi tercemar apabila setitis arak jatuh ke dalamnya, demikian juga suatu upacara suci rosak oleh campuran kecil yang menajiskan.

Word by Word

• पञ्चगव्यस्य: of pañcagavya (five cow-products mixture)
• पञ्चगव्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + गव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (पञ्चानां गव्यानाम् समाहारः)

• संपूर्णः: completely full
• संपूर्णः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संपूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘कुम्भः’)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक अव्यय (as/just as)

• कुम्भः: a pot
• कुम्भः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्रदुष्यति: gets spoiled/tainted
• प्रदुष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-दुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• बिन्दुना: by a drop
• बिन्दुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करणवाचक

• एकेन: one
• एकेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; संख्या-विशेषण (qualifying ‘बिन्दुना’)

• मद्यस्य: of liquor
• मद्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• पतितेन: fallen (into it)
• पतितेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पतित (पत् धातु, क्त/कृदन्त; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषण (qualifying ‘बिन्दुना’)

• नृपोत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नृपेषु उत्तमः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpoत्तम (best of kings) explicitly addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic teaching image: a full pot labeled pañcagavya; a tiny drop of liquor falling into it; observers (a king and a sage) contemplate the consequence—didactic clarity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity in dharmic rites is delicate; even a small impurity can undermine the intended merit (puṇya).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching appears within a tīrtha-māhātmya context, emphasizing how to preserve the sanctity of rites performed at holy places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Maintain strict ritual purity; avoid defiling elements that can invalidate śrāddha and related offerings.