Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

तदर्धं रोगिणां चापि सुस्थे न्यूनं न कार येत् । अपि सर्वनदीतोयैर्मृत्कूटैश्चाप्यगोपमैः

Transliteration

tadardhaṃ rogiṇāṃ cāpi susthe nyūnaṃ na kāra yet | api sarvanadītoyairmṛtkūṭaiścāpyagopamaiḥ

Translation

ତାହାର ମଧ୍ୟ ଅର୍ଧ ରୋଗୀଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ ଯଥେଷ୍ଟ; କିନ୍ତୁ ସୁସ୍ଥ ଲୋକ ତାହାଠାରୁ କମ୍ କରିବା ଉଚିତ୍ ନୁହେଁ। ଯେକୌଣସି ନଦୀଜଳ ଓ ବିଶେଷ ପ୍ରସ୍ତୁତ ନୁହେଁ ମୃତ୍କୂଟ/ମାଟି ଢେଲାଦ୍ୱାରା ମଧ୍ୟ ଶୁଦ୍ଧି କରିବ।

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देशक

• अर्धम्: half
• अर्धम्: कर्म (Object/Measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्द्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक

• रोगिणाम्: of the sick persons
• रोगिणाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• सुस्थे: when (one is) healthy
• सुस्थे: अधिकरण (Condition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; 'सुस्थे (सति)'—स्थित्यधिकरण (in the case of being healthy)

• न्यूनम्: less (than that)
• न्यूनम्: कर्म (Object/Measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्यून (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक (a lesser amount)

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

• कारयेत्: should cause to be done / should do (as a rule)
• कारयेत्: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• सर्वनदीतोयैः: with waters of all rivers
• सर्वनदीतोयैः: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + नदी + तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सर्वासां नदीनां तोयैः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• मृत्कूटैः: with lumps/clods of earth
• मृत्कूटैः: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत् + कूट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मृदः कूटाः), पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• अगोपमैः: with those not like cow-dung (i.e., unsuitable)
• अगोपमैः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + गोपम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; नञ्-समासपूर्वक विशेषण (not comparable to cowdung/‘gopama’)

Speaker

Anonymous Purāṇic narrator (Dharmāraṇya instructional passage; speaker not explicit in the excerpt)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A convalescent pilgrim performs minimal cleansing with a small pot of river water and a simple clod of earth; beside him a healthy pilgrim performs the full measure.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma balances compassion and rigor: concessions exist for illness, but health requires full observance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular river or tīrtha is singled out; it broadly permits river-water for purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The sick may do reduced śauca; the healthy should not reduce it; purification may be done using any river water and ordinary clods of earth.