Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

नारायण उवाच । इदं जलं मन्त्रपूतं कस्मिन्स्थाने क्षिपाम्यहम् । येन राजा भवेद्भस्म सराष्ट्रः सपुरोहितः

Transliteration

nārāyaṇa uvāca | idaṃ jalaṃ mantrapūtaṃ kasminsthāne kṣipāmyaham | yena rājā bhavedbhasma sarāṣṭraḥ sapurohitaḥ

Translation

นารายณ์ตรัสว่า “น้ำนี้ได้ชำระให้ศักดิ์สิทธิ์ด้วยมนตร์แล้ว เราควรสาดลง ณ ที่ใดเล่า เพื่อให้พระราชาพร้อมทั้งแว่นแคว้นและปุโรหิตของพระองค์ถึงกับเป็นเถ้าถ่าน?”

Word by Word

• नारायणः: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine nominative singular; proper noun)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (perfect, 3rd person singular)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (neuter nom/acc sg; demonstrative)

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• मन्त्रपूतम्: purified by mantra
• मन्त्रपूतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पूत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √पू ‘to purify’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (मन्त्रेण पूतम् = purified by mantra)

• कस्मिन्: in which
• कस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular; interrogative)

• स्थाने: place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular)

• क्षिपामि: do I throw/cast
• क्षिपामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (present indicative, 1st person singular)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nominative singular of 1st person pronoun)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (instrumental singular; relative)

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine nominative singular)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (संभावना/आज्ञा), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (optative, 3rd person singular)

• भस्म: ashes
• भस्म: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन्/भस्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg; predicate noun)

• सराष्ट्रः: with (his) kingdom
• सराष्ट्रः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्गसदृश-पूर्वपद) + राष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (सह राष्ट्रेण = with his kingdom)

• सपुरोहितः: with (his) priest
• सपुरोहितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (पूर्वपद) + पुरोहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (सह पुरोहितेन = with (his) priest)

Speaker

Nārāyaṇa

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Māṇḍavya (and assembled sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārāyaṇa stands holding a vessel of shimmering sanctified water, eyes intense; sages look on as he asks where to cast it to reduce the king and kingdom to ashes—an image of contained cosmic force.

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa
• rājā (king)
• purohita (royal priest)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra-empowered acts must be guided by dharma and right discernment, because their results can be profoundly destructive or purifying.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Revā Khaṇḍa framework, the wider sacred geography centers on the Revā (Narmadā) region, though this verse itself focuses on the ethical handling of mantrapūta water rather than naming a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse references mantrapūta-jala (water sanctified by mantra) and asks where it should be cast—implying a rite whose efficacy depends on correct placement and intention.