Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

स त्वं वांछसि चेच्छुद्धिमग्निवर्णं घृतं पिब । यावन्मात्रा सुरा पीता तावन्मात्रं विशुद्धये

Transliteration

sa tvaṃ vāṃchasi cecchuddhimagnivarṇaṃ ghṛtaṃ piba | yāvanmātrā surā pītā tāvanmātraṃ viśuddhaye

Translation

หากท่านปรารถนาความบริสุทธิ์โดยแท้ จงดื่มเนยใสที่มีสีดุจไฟ; ดื่มให้เท่ากับปริมาณสุราที่ท่านได้ดื่ม เพื่อให้บรรลุการชำระล้าง

Word by Word

• सः: he; that (person)
• सः: Sambandha (Anaphoric reference)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• वाञ्छसि: desire
• वाञ्छसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वाञ्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, शर्तार्थक-निपात (conditional particle: if)

• शुद्धिम्: purity; purification
• शुद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अग्निवर्णम्: fire-colored
• अग्निवर्णम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of घृतम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• घृतम्: ghee
• घृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पिब: drink
• पिब: Kriya (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• यावन्मात्रा: as much as
• यावन्मात्रा: Visheshana (Qualifier of सुरा)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यावत् (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय (yāvanmātrā = 'as much as')

• सुरा: liquor
• सुरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• पीता: (was) drunk
• पीता: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'drunk'

• तावन्मात्रम्: that much
• तावन्मात्रम्: Karma (Measure/extent)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तावत् (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• विशुद्धये: for purification
• विशुद्धये: Sampradana (Purpose/recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

A brāhmaṇa/elder giving expiatory instruction (contextual, within Tīrthamāhātmya narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An instructor’s direct admonition: ‘If you desire purification, drink fire-colored ghee in the same measure as the liquor consumed.’ The focus is on resolve, measure, and ritual discipline.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True purification requires disciplined, measured atonement rather than denial or concealment of wrongdoing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse occurs within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya framework; the snippet itself emphasizes expiation rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A proportional expiatory act: drinking fire-colored (heated/clarified) ghee in the same measure as the liquor consumed.