Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

मलं मूत्रं पुरीषं च श्लेष्म निष्ठीनाश्रु च । गंडूषाश्चैव मुञ्चति ये ते ब्रह्महणैः समाः

Transliteration

malaṃ mūtraṃ purīṣaṃ ca śleṣma niṣṭhīnāśru ca | gaṃḍūṣāścaiva muñcati ye te brahmahaṇaiḥ samāḥ

Translation

ଯେମାନେ ତୀର୍ଥଜଳରେ ମଳ, ମୂତ୍ର, ପୁରୀଷ, କଫ, ଥୁକ, ଅଶ୍ରୁ ଏବଂ ଗଣ୍ଡୂଷଜଳ ଛାଡ଼ନ୍ତି—ସେମାନେ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣହନ୍ତା ସମାନ ବୋଲି ଗଣ୍ୟ।

Word by Word

• malam: filth
• malam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter accusative singular)

• mūtram: urine
• mūtram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūtra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter accusative singular)

• purīṣam: feces
• purīṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purīṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter accusative singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• śleṣma: phlegm
• śleṣma: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śleṣman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter accusative singular; stem śleṣman, form śleṣma)

• niṣṭhīna: spittle
• niṣṭhīna: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niṣṭhīvana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter accusative singular; spittle)

• aśru: tears
• aśru: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter accusative singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• gaṇḍūṣāḥ: mouthfuls (garglings)
• gaṇḍūṣāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇḍūṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (masculine accusative plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• muñcati: releases/lets out
• muñcati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √muc (मुच्) धातु
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (present indicative, 3rd sg)

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (masc nominative plural; relative pronoun)

• te: they/those
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (masc nominative plural; demonstrative)

• brahma-haṇaiḥ: with brahma-slayers
• brahma-haṇaiḥ: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma-han (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (masc instrumental plural); तत्पुरुषः: brahmaṇaḥ hantāraḥ (slayers of a Brāhmaṇa)

• samāḥ: equal (to)
• samāḥ: Kriya (Predicate adjective/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (masc nominative plural)

Speaker

Suhṛdaya (quoting/introducing an authoritative maxim attributed to Brahmā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark moral tableau: sacred water with lotuses and devotees; in contrast, a transgressor pollutes the water and is shown shadowed by ominous karmic consequence, while a sage condemns the act.

Characters & Entities

• Suhṛdaya
• Brahmā (Padmabhū)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Polluting sacred water is a severe moral and ritual offense; tīrthas must be protected as living embodiments of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; the verse upholds the sanctity of all tīrthas and temple waters.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A strict prohibition: do not discharge bodily impurities or even mouth-rinsings into sacred waters reserved for worship or tīrtha use.