Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

बाह्यमाभ्यतरं चैव द्विविधं शौचमुच्यते । बाह्यं तु मृज्जलैः प्रोक्तमांतरं शुद्धमानसम्

Transliteration

bāhyamābhyataraṃ caiva dvividhaṃ śaucamucyate | bāhyaṃ tu mṛjjalaiḥ proktamāṃtaraṃ śuddhamānasam

Translation

शौचं द्विविधं प्रोक्तं बाह्यमाभ्यन्तरं च; बाह्यं मृज्जलशोधनं, आभ्यन्तरं तु शुद्धमानसम्।

Word by Word

• bāhyam: external
• bāhyam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bāhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Nom./Acc. singular; ‘external’ (agreeing with śaucam)

• ābhyantaram: internal
• ābhyantaram: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ābhyantara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Nom./Acc. singular; ‘internal’

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

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

• dvividham: twofold
• dvividham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + vidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Nom./Acc. singular; द्विगु-समासः (‘द्वौ विधौ यस्य’) = ‘twofold’

• śaucam: purity
• śaucam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śauca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — Nominative singular; ‘purity’

• ucyate: is called
• ucyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु) + ya (कर्मणि-प्रयोग)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive) — ‘is said/called’

• bāhyam: external (purity)
• bāhyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bāhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular; ‘external (purity)’

• tu: but
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषण-अव्यय (particle: ‘but/indeed’)

• mṛt: with clay
• mṛt: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛt (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular; ‘with clay/earth’

• jalaiḥ: with water
• jalaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural; ‘with waters’

• proktam: is declared
• proktam: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+vac (धातु) + ta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘is declared’ (agreeing with bāhyam)

• āntaram: inner (purity)
• āntaram: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āntara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular; ‘inner’

• śuddha-mānasam: having a purified mind
• śuddha-mānasam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuddha (प्रातिपदिक) + mānasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Nom./Acc. singular; कर्मधारयः (‘शुद्धं मानसम्’)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Disciple/ṛṣi

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee washing hands/feet with water and cleansing with sacred earth on a riverbank; above, a translucent depiction of the same devotee with a bright, clear mind-lotus, indicating internal purity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True purity includes both bodily cleanliness and the deeper purification of the mind.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse defines śauca in general terms.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

External purification by washing/cleansing with water and earth (clay) is mentioned, alongside cultivating mental purity.