Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

शुचिः स्यादल्पदिवसात्पाषाणोऽसौ भवेत्स्फुटम् । तस्मात्सर्वात्मना नैव ग्रहीष्येहं जलं स्फुटम्

Transliteration

śuciḥ syādalpadivasātpāṣāṇo'sau bhavetsphuṭam | tasmātsarvātmanā naiva grahīṣyehaṃ jalaṃ sphuṭam

Translation

แม้เขาจะ ‘บริสุทธิ์’ ได้ในไม่กี่วัน ธาตุสันดานที่แข็งดุจหินของเขาก็ยังปรากฏชัด ดังนั้น ด้วยความตั้งมั่นทั้งสิ้น ข้าพเจ้าจะไม่รับน้ำนี้ ณ ที่นี่เป็นแน่

Word by Word

• शुचिः: pure
• शुचिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (masc nominative singular; adjective)

• स्यात्: would be / might become
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (optative, 3rd sg)

• अल्पदिवसात्: after a few days / from a short time
• अल्पदिवसात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: alpa (प्रातिपदिक) + divasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन (ablative singular)

• पाषाणः: stone
• पाषाणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṣāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (masc nominative singular)

• असौ: that (one)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asau (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (masc nominative singular; demonstrative pronoun)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (optative, 3rd sg)

• स्फुटम्: clearly
• स्फुटम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sphuṭa (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tasmāt (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; tad)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक (therefore)

• सर्वात्मना: entirely
• सर्वात्मना: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (instrumental singular used adverbially: 'entirely')

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• एव: at all
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• ग्रहीष्ये: I will accept
• ग्रहीष्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √grah (ग्रह्)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (simple future, 1st sg)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (indeclinable adverb: 'here')

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (neuter accusative singular)

• स्फुटम्: clearly
• स्फुटम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sphuṭa (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A firm-minded pilgrim/ascetic refuses a offered water-pot; the offerer appears outwardly cleansed but with a hard, stone-like aura; the refused water glints, emphasizing the moral choice.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True purity is not momentary or merely external; one should use discernment and avoid accepting what is tied to impure conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is explicitly mentioned in this verse; the focus is ethical discernment regarding acceptance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual is taught; the instruction is a dharmic resolve to refuse acceptance (especially of water/offerings) when purity is doubtful.