Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

उपरिष्टात्तच्च चूर्णं धार्यं गोवाटसंभवम् । यावद्वक्त्रप्रमाणं च वर्जयित्वा स्वमाननम्

Transliteration

upariṣṭāttacca cūrṇaṃ dhāryaṃ govāṭasaṃbhavam | yāvadvaktrapramāṇaṃ ca varjayitvā svamānanam

Translation

Kemudian di bahagian atas tubuh itu hendaklah diletakkan serbuk yang berasal dari kandang lembu, sehingga setakat ukuran wajah—dengan mengecualikan ukuran penuh wajah sendiri.

Word by Word

• उपरिष्टात्: above; on top
• उपरिष्टात्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपरिष्टात् (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: above/on top)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; ‘that’ (चूर्णम् इत्यर्थे)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• चूर्णम्: powder
• चूर्णम्: Karya/vidheya (That to be done/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• धार्यम्: should be placed/kept
• धार्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘to be held/placed’ (चूर्णम् इति विधेयविशेषण)

• गोवाटसंभवम्: originating from cow-dung/cow-pen
• गोवाटसंभवम्: Karya-viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोवाट + संभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; ‘arisen from cow-dung/cow-pen’ (चूर्णम् इति विशेषण)

• यावत्: as much as; up to
• यावत्: Pramāṇa (Measure/परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (as much as)

• वक्त्रप्रमाणम्: the measure of the mouth
• वक्त्रप्रमाणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र + प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; ‘mouth-measure’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वर्जयित्वा: excluding; having avoided
• वर्जयित्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having avoided/excluding’

• स्वमाननम्: one’s own measure
• स्वमाननम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + मानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; ‘one’s own measuring/measure’

Speaker

Brāhmaṇa (ritual instructor)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tiṃginī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sāmba (Yādava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devotee lies in the prepared pit; attendants gently heap cow-pen powder over the body while leaving the face area clear; the brāhmaṇa oversees, ensuring the ‘vaktreṇa pramāṇa’ limit is respected.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Expiation is not random suffering; it is a measured, rule-bound discipline intended for purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage continues the Tiṃginī-centered expiation narrative within the tīrtha-māhātmya framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Cover/heap the govāṭa-derived powder above the body up to the specified ‘face-measure’ (vaktra-pramāṇa).