Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 132

Devanagari script

विवादे च समुत्पन्ने अपराधी च यो मतः । जलहस्तः सदा वाच्यो महीसागरसंगमे

Transliteration

vivāde ca samutpanne aparādhī ca yo mataḥ | jalahastaḥ sadā vācyo mahīsāgarasaṃgame

Translation

Kapag may alitan na sumiklab at may itinuturing na nagkasala, sa tagpuan ng Ilog Mahī at karagatan, siya’y laging pasasailalim sa banal na pagsubok na ‘kamay-sa-tubig’ (jala-hasta) bilang patunay.

Word by Word

• विवादे: in a dispute
• विवादे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (Samucchaya/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय अव्यय (conjunction)

• समुत्पन्ने: when arisen/occurred
• समुत्पन्ने: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उत्-√पद्/√पद् (धातु) + उत्पन्न (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (विवादे)

• अपराधी: the offender
• अपराधी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपराधिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (Samucchaya/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय अव्यय

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• मतः: is considered
• मतः: Predicate adjective (Vidhaya/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √मन् (धातु) + मत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण/विधेय (considered)

• जलहस्तः: (one with) water in hand / water-handed (ritual designation)
• जलहस्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल-हस्त (प्रातिपदिक; जल + हस्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (जलस्य हस्तः)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Modifier (Avyaya/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time: always)

• वाच्यः: should be called/declared
• वाच्यः: Predicate adjective (Vidhaya/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √वच् (धातु) + वाच्य (कृदन्त, यत्)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/भाव्य); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (should be called/declared)

• महीसागरसंगमे: at the confluence of earth and ocean
• महीसागरसंगमे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही-सागर-संगम (प्रातिपदिक; मही + सागर + संगम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahīsāgara-saṅgama

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A public dispute scene at the confluence: elders/priestly figures preside; the accused steps forward to perform jala-hasta—hand immersed/raised with water as the divine witness—while the river-sea horizon looms solemnly.

Characters & Entities

• Mahī (river)
• Sāgara (Ocean)
• Saṅgama (confluence)
• Dharma (justice)
• Jala-hasta (ordeal)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through sacred procedures: tīrthas are portrayed as places where truth is tested and wrongdoing is exposed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahī–Sāgara Saṅgama.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The jala-hasta—an ordeal/test involving water and the hand, used as a dhārmic proof in disputes.