Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

औत्तानपादिरस्पृश्य उत्तमो हि सुरैः कृतः । अथ चेत्तत्र संयामि न महीसागरस्ततः

Transliteration

auttānapādiraspṛśya uttamo hi suraiḥ kṛtaḥ | atha cettatra saṃyāmi na mahīsāgarastataḥ

Translation

Maging si Auttānapādi (Dhruva), bagaman minsang itinuring na “di dapat hipuin”, ay itinaas ng mga deva sa sukdulang kadakilaan. Ngunit kung ako’y pumaroon, ang tagpuan ng Lupa at Karagatan na ito’y hindi na magiging makabuluhan o maaabot para sa akin.

Word by Word

• औत्तानपादिः: Auttānapādi (a person)
• औत्तानपादिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: औत्तानपादि (प्रातिपदिक; patronymic/name)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अस्पृश्यः: untouchable
• अस्पृश्यः: Vidhेय (predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (निषेध) + स्पृश्य (प्रातिपदिक; from स्पृश् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-यत् (gerundive) with negation, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उत्तमः: excellent, best
• उत्तमः: Visheshana (विशेषण) / predicate adjective
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (superlative sense)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात

• सुरैः: by the gods
• सुरैः: Kartr̥ (agent) in passive (कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Instrumental plural)

• कृतः: made/declared
• कृतः: Kriyā (predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-क्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे 'made/declared'

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/प्रस्तावार्थक-अव्यय (then/now)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Condition marker (शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle 'if')

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• संयामि: I restrain
• संयामि: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु) + सम् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; अर्थे 'I restrain/hold back'

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• महीसागरः: the great ocean
• महीसागरः: Karta (कर्ता) (of implied अस्ति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक) + सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (महीनां सागरः = 'ocean of the earth' / 'great ocean')

• ततः: therefore/from that
• ततः: Hetu/Source marker (हेतु/अपादानार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: तस्मात्/ततः इत्यर्थे अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'therefore/from that')

Speaker

Same narrator (reflective voice) within Sūta’s discourse (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahī-sāgara-saṅgama (as indicated)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a dramatic shoreline confluence where river meets ocean; he recalls Dhruva’s ascent—shown as a child-sage rising toward a star—while the pilgrim hesitates, torn between going elsewhere and staying at the saṅgama.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva (Auttānapādi)
• Devas
• Mahī-sāgara-saṅgama (confluence of earth and ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even one considered impure can be elevated by divine grace; yet discernment about where to go and what dharma requires remains crucial.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahī-sāgara-saṅgama—described as a sacred confluence of land (mahī) and ocean (sāgara).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is stated; the verse frames a pilgrimage decision connected to the sanctity of a saṅgama.