Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

वामेन मातृकं पक्षं दक्षिणेनाथ पैतृकम् । उभाभ्यामथ चात्मानं कराभ्यां मद्वचो यथा

Transliteration

vāmena mātṛkaṃ pakṣaṃ dakṣiṇenātha paitṛkam | ubhābhyāmatha cātmānaṃ karābhyāṃ madvaco yathā

Translation

بائیں ہاتھ سے مادری پہلو کو اور دائیں ہاتھ سے پدری پہلو کو پاک کرے؛ پھر دونوں ہاتھوں سے اپنے آپ کو پاک کرے—بالکل میرے حکم کے مطابق۔

Word by Word

• वामेन: with the left (hand)
• वामेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; (implicit ‘करेण’)

• मातृकम्: maternal
• मातृकम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मातृक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘पक्षम्’

• पक्षम्: side; part
• पक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• दक्षिणेन: with the right (hand)
• दक्षिणेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; (implicit ‘करेण’)

• अथ: then; next
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनन्तरार्थक/प्रस्तावक (then/now)

• पैतृकम्: paternal
• पैतृकम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पैतृक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘पक्षम्’ (understood)

• उभाभ्याम्: with both
• उभाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), द्विवचन; ‘उभाभ्याम्’ = with both (hands)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रमवाचक (then)

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

• आत्मानम्: oneself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• कराभ्याम्: with (two) hands
• कराभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), द्विवचन

• मद्वचः: my word/command
• मद्वचः: Sambandha (Reference/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्-वचस् (प्रातिपदिक; मद् + वचस्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; ‘मम वचः’

• यथा: as; according to
• यथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as; according to)

Speaker

Śiva (Tripurātaka/Virūpākṣa), continuing instruction

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Virūpākṣa-kunda

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devendra (Indra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs a precise water-gesture: left hand touching the left side (maternal), right hand touching the right side (paternal), then both hands to the heart/head to sanctify the self, following Śiva’s instruction.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Maternal line (mātṛka)
• Paternal line (paitṛka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage integrates gratitude to one’s lineage and self-purification; dharma embraces both ancestry and personal conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Śaiva kuṇḍa/tīrtha of the adhyāya, associated with Kedāra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prescribed hand-wise purification/ablution sequence: left for the maternal side, right for the paternal side, and both hands for oneself, following Śiva’s instruction.