Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

उद्वर्तनं च देहस्य कदाचित्षष्टिमे पदे । नेत्रांजनप्रभावाच्च बिलं पश्यति शोभनम्

Transliteration

udvartanaṃ ca dehasya kadācitṣaṣṭime pade | netrāṃjanaprabhāvācca bilaṃ paśyati śobhanam

Translation

اس سے بدن کی مالش کرتے ہوئے، کسی وقت—ساٹھویں قدم پر—اسی آنکھوں کے سرمے کی تاثیر سے ایک نہایت خوبصورت غار کا دہانہ دکھائی دیتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• उद्वर्तनम्: rubbing/anointing (massage)
• उद्वर्तनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद् + वृत् (धातु) + ल्युट्/अन (कृत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियानाम (rubbing/anointing; act-noun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction: 'and')

• देहस्य: of the body
• देहस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• कदाचित्: at some time
• कदाचित्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'at some time/occasionally')

• षष्टिमे: in the sixtieth
• षष्टिमे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष्टिम (प्रातिपदिक; क्रमवाचक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (in the sixtieth)

• पदे: step/position
• पदे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• नेत्राञ्जनप्रभावात्: due to the power of the eye-ointment
• नेत्राञ्जनप्रभावात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अञ्जन (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (हेतु/अपादान), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नेत्राञ्जनस्य प्रभावः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (and)

• बिलम्: a hole/cave
• बिलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शोभनम्: beautiful/auspicious
• शोभनम्: Visheshana (Object qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म-विशेषण (qualifying 'bilaṃ')

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: cave

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The pilgrim rubs consecrated paste over the body; a path with counted steps rises toward a rocky face; at the sixtieth step a luminous, beautiful cave-mouth appears, as if unveiled.

Characters & Entities

• Kumāra/Skanda (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disciplined ritual practice is portrayed as unveiling hidden sacred realities—symbolized by the sudden sight of a radiant passage.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

A concealed ‘bila’ (opening/cave) connected to the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa sacred landscape is indicated; the precise toponym is not stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Apply the prepared substances as udvartana and use the eye-ointment; a sign occurs at the ‘sixtieth step’ when the opening becomes visible.