Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

तत्तीर्थोत्थां मृदं गात्रे योजयित्वा नरोत्तमः । स्नानं करोति तीर्थानां सर्वेषां लभते फलम्

Transliteration

tattīrthotthāṃ mṛdaṃ gātre yojayitvā narottamaḥ | snānaṃ karoti tīrthānāṃ sarveṣāṃ labhate phalam

Translation

เมื่อบุรุษผู้ประเสริฐนำดินที่เกิดจากทีรถะนั้นมาทาตามกาย แล้วอาบน้ำศักดิ์สิทธิ์ ย่อมได้ผลบุญแห่งการอาบในทีรถะทั้งปวง

Word by Word

• तत्-तीर्थ-उत्थाम्: arisen from that tīrtha
• तत्-तीर्थ-उत्थाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्थ (कृदन्त; √स्था—उत्थाने, क्त; ‘arisen’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास (Fem.; Acc. sg.; ‘arisen from that tīrtha’)

• मृदम्: clay; earth
• मृदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (Fem.; Acc. sg.)

• गात्रे: on the body
• गात्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (Neuter; Loc. sg.)

• योजयित्वा: having applied
• योजयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √युज् (धातु; योजने)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive; ‘having applied/attached’)

• नर-उत्तमः: the best man; noble person
• नर-उत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास (Masc.; Nom. sg.; ‘best of men’)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (Neuter; Acc. sg.)

• करोति: does; performs
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु; करणे)
• Form: लट्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Present; 3rd person; sg.; Parasmaipada)

• तीर्थानाम्: of (all) tīrthas
• तीर्थानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी बहुवचन (Neuter; Gen. pl.)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी बहुवचन (Neuter; Gen. pl.)

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु; लाभे)
• Form: लट्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (Present; 3rd person; sg.; Atmanepada)

• फलम्: fruit; result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (Neuter; Acc. sg.)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śuklatīrtha

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim reverently applies pale clay from the tīrtha onto his body, then steps into the water for snāna; surrounding aura suggests the merit of ‘all tīrthas’ converging into this act.

Characters & Entities

• Śuklatīrtha (context)
• Tīrtha-mṛd (sacred clay)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Concentrated sanctity is attributed to certain places: one tīrtha can bestow the merit of many when approached properly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śuklatīrtha (context), especially its tīrtha-clay used as a sacred aid to bathing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Apply tīrtha-origin clay to the body and then perform snāna to gain the fruits of all tīrthas.