Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

स्नात्वा त्रिषवणं पश्चाद्भस्मस्नान परायणः । जपन्रुद्रशिरो रुद्रान्नीलरुद्रांस्तथापरान्

Transliteration

snātvā triṣavaṇaṃ paścādbhasmasnāna parāyaṇaḥ | japanrudraśiro rudrānnīlarudrāṃstathāparān

Translation

ครั้นอาบน้ำวันละสามเวลาแล้ว ตั้งมั่นในการอาบด้วยเถ้าศักดิ์สิทธิ์ เขาก็สวดชปรุทรศิรัส บทสรรเสริญรุทร นีลรุทร และมนต์ภาวนาอื่น ๆ ทำนองเดียวกัน

Word by Word

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः; पूर्वक्रिया

• त्रि-सवणम्: at the three daily times
• त्रि-सवणम्: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + सवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (at the three daily times)

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (afterwards)

• भस्म-स्नान-परायणः: devoted to bathing with ash
• भस्म-स्नान-परायणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्म (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः (भस्मस्नाने परायणः)

• जपन्: reciting; muttering
• जपन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्तः (present active participle); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• रुद्रशिरः: the Rudraśiras (hymn/mantra)
• रुद्रशिरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (रुद्रस्य शिरः/रुद्रशिरो-नाम मन्त्रः)

• रुद्रान्: Rudra (hymns/mantras)
• रुद्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) बहुवचनम्

• नील-रुद्रान्: Nīlarudra (hymns/mantras)
• नील-रुद्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नील (प्रातिपदिक) + रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) बहुवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (नीलः रुद्रः)

• तथा: also; likewise
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/तुल्यतावाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम्

• अपरान्: other (ones)
• अपरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (रुद्रान् इत्यस्य)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration in Nāgarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Garuḍa bathes three times daily, smears sacred ash, and chants Rudra hymns—Rudraśiras, Rudras, Nīlarudra—creating a steady devotional cadence around the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa
• Bhasma
• Rudraśiras
• Rudra
• Nīlarudra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Daily purity through triṣavaṇa bathing, bhasma observance, and Rudra-centered japa exemplifies steady Śaiva sādhana that leads to sanctification and divine closeness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the chapter’s tīrtha-māhātmya by showing that such Śaiva practices gain special potency at the local liṅga and its sacred waters.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Triṣavaṇa snāna (three-times bathing), bhasma-snāna (ash observance), and japa of Rudra hymns including Rudraśiras and Nīlarudra.