Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

मलाक्ततोयं यन्नाम अस्पृश्यं तन्नरैरपि । कुतो देवैश्च तत्पापं स्पृश्यते तत्त्वतो वद

Transliteration

malāktatoyaṃ yannāma aspṛśyaṃ tannarairapi | kuto devaiśca tatpāpaṃ spṛśyate tattvato vada

Translation

Dize-me a verdade: se certa água é dita manchada de imundície e, por isso, intocável até para os homens, como poderia tal pecado ser tocável pelos deuses, em absoluto?

Word by Word

• मलाक्ततोयम्: water smeared with filth
• मलाक्ततोयम्: Karta (Subject of ‘is’ implied/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल-आक्त-तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (मलेन आक्तं तोयम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative)

• नाम: indeed/namely
• नाम: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/प्रसिद्ध्यर्थक निपात (particle: “indeed/namely”)

• अस्पृश्यम्: untouchable
• अस्पृश्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-√स्पृश् (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/नीयतुल्य) ‘स्पर्श-अयोग्य’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Demonstrative/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; निर्देशक (demonstrative)

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karta (Agent in passive sense/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Nipāta (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थे (particle: “even/also”)

• कुतः: how then
• कुतः: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative adverb: “how then/whence”)

• देवैः: by the gods
• देवैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• तत्पापम्: that sin/impurity
• तत्पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद्-पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (तत् पापम् = that sin); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन

• स्पृश्यते: is touched
• स्पृश्यते: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान); कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तत्त्वतः: in reality
• तत्त्वतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्त्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/सत्यार्थे (adverb: “in truth, essentially”)

• वद: tell (me)
• वद: Kriyā (Imperative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/imperative); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Unclear (contextual dialogue; likely a rākṣasa/antagonist addressing Bhīma before Bhīma’s reply in v.17)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devī-kuṇḍa

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhīma (or the questioned party) poses a philosophical challenge: how can gods be tainted by what humans deem untouchable? The scene becomes a calm debate on the steps of the sacred pond.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It questions how impurity (pāpa) can truly cling to what is deemed sacred, urging a correct understanding of purity and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha name appears in this verse; it functions as a general debate about sacred water and impurity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription—this verse frames a doctrinal challenge about whether impurity can ‘touch’ divine contexts.