Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

पंचपिंडान्समुद्धृत्य स्नानमात्रेण शोभनम् । कूपे स्नानं प्रकुर्वीत उद्धृतेन विसेषतः

Transliteration

paṃcapiṃḍānsamuddhṛtya snānamātreṇa śobhanam | kūpe snānaṃ prakurvīta uddhṛtena viseṣataḥ

Translation

เมื่อชักน้ำขึ้นมาห้าปิณฑะ (ห้ามาตรา) การอาบด้วยเพียงเท่านั้นก็นับว่างดงามและน่าสรรเสริญ ครั้นอาบในบ่อหรือบ่อน้ำ ควรอาบโดยเฉพาะด้วยน้ำที่ชักขึ้นมาแล้ว

Word by Word

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; पिंडान् इति पदस्य विशेषणम् (indeclinable-like numeral used adjectivally)

• पिण्डान्: balls/offerings (piṇḍas)
• पिण्डान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन (Accusative plural)

• समुद्धृत्य: having taken out/raised
• समुद्धृत्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्+उद्+हृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having lifted/taken out)

• स्नानमात्रेण: by mere bathing
• स्नानमात्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्नानस्य मात्रम्)

• शोभनम्: auspicious/commendable
• शोभनम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular); विधेय-विशेषणम् (predicative)

• कूपे: in a well
• कूपे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• प्रकुर्वीत: should perform
• प्रकुर्वीत: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (should perform)

• उद्धृतेन: with the extracted (piṇḍa/water etc.)
• उद्धृतेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्+हृ (धातु) → उद्धृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (with what is taken out)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a stone-lined well in a Himalayan shrine-settlement draws water in a vessel, then performs snāna with composure, with Kedāra peaks and Śiva symbols subtly present.

Characters & Entities

• Snāna
• Kūpa (well)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even simple purification acts, when done correctly, are praised as dharmic and spiritually beneficial.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The focus is on the practice of snāna itself; wells and local water-sources within pilgrimage zones are included in tīrtha discipline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

For well-bathing, use water drawn up from the well; five measured draw-ups are indicated.