Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

गंगोदकुम्भः स्याद्यद्वत्तन्मध्ये मद्य बिंदुना । अशिवज्ञस्य यो भुंक्ते शिवज्ञोऽपि तथैव सः

Transliteration

gaṃgodakumbhaḥ syādyadvattanmadhye madya biṃdunā | aśivajñasya yo bhuṃkte śivajño'pi tathaiva saḥ

Translation

గంగాజల కుంభంలో ఒక్క మద్యబిందువు పడితే అది దూషితమయ్యేలా, శివుని తెలియని వాడి అన్నం తినేవాడు శివజ్ఞానియైనా అలాగే అవుతాడు.

Word by Word

• गङ्गोदकुम्भः: a pot of Ganges-water
• गङ्गोदकुम्भः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक) + कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (गङ्गायाः उदकस्य कुम्भः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• स्यात्: would be/may be
• स्यात्: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यद्वत्: just as
• यद्वत्: Upamāna (Comparative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: उपमानवाचक अव्यय (comparative particle)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Reference)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; here deictic with madhye

• मध्ये: in the middle/within
• मध्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• मद्य: wine/liquor
• मद्य: Karma (Implied object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; contextually object of implied "being/placed"

• बिन्दुना: by a drop
• बिन्दुना: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• अशिवज्ञस्य: of one who does not know Śiva
• अशिवज्ञस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ (नञ्) + शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्-तत्पुरुष (शिवं न जानाति इति), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भुङ्क्ते: eats/consumes
• भुङ्क्ते: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• शिवज्ञः: one who knows Śiva
• शिवज्ञः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (शिवं जानाति इति), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवादबोधक अव्यय (also/even)

• तथा: thus/in the same way
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• सः: he
• सः: Pradhāna-nāma (Predicate/Conclusion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (context suggests a Purāṇic narrator in Māheśvarakhaṇḍa, likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A clear pot of Gaṅgā-water is shown; a single drop of liquor falls in, clouding it—intercut with a devotee hesitating before accepting food from a Śiva-ignorant host; Śiva’s presence is suggested as a luminous principle that must be honored.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even minor association can alter spiritual purity; food is treated as a powerful medium of influence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā is referenced as the paradigmatic sacred purifier, though no particular tīrtha-location is specified.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid eating from those described as ‘aśivajña’ (ignorant of Śiva), even if one is personally devout.