Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

ततः पुष्पो विधायाथ स्नानं धौतांबरः शुचिः । भूनाम्ना साध्य भूमिं च स्थंडिलार्थं द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

tataḥ puṣpo vidhāyātha snānaṃ dhautāṃbaraḥ śuciḥ | bhūnāmnā sādhya bhūmiṃ ca sthaṃḍilārthaṃ dvijottamāḥ

Translation

پھر اس نے پھولوں کی نذر پیش کی اور اشنان کیا۔ دھلے ہوئے کپڑے پہن کر پاکیزہ ہو گیا، اور اس برتر دِوِج نے ‘بھُو’ کے منتر سے ستھنڈِل (یَجّیہ ویدی کی جگہ) کے لیے زمین تیار کی۔

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक)

• पुष्पः: Puṣpa (proper name)
• पुष्पः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• विधाय: having done; having performed
• विधाय: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-dhā (धातु) → vidhāya (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund)

• अथ: then; thereafter
• अथ: Discourse/sequence marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तर/प्रारम्भ)

• स्नानम्: bath; bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• धौत-अम्बरः: wearing washed garments
• धौत-अम्बरः: Karta-sāmānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhauta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + ambara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (धौतं अम्बरं यस्य)

• शुचिः: pure; clean
• शुचिः: Karta-sāmānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भू-नाम्ना: by the name 'Bhū'
• भू-नाम्ना: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū (प्रातिपदिक) + nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (भू इति नाम यस्य/भूनाम)

• साध्य: to be prepared/arranged
• साध्य: Vidhi/Prayojana (Obligation/purpose nuance)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sādh (धातु) → sādhya (यत्-कृदन्त)
• Form: यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive), अव्ययभावे/विधेय; अर्थः—'साधयित्वा/साधयितव्या' (to be accomplished)

• भूमिम्: ground; earth
• भूमिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• स्थण्डिल-अर्थम्: for the altar/ritual ground (sthaṇḍila)
• स्थण्डिल-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sthaṇḍila (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्यय (purpose)

• द्विज-उत्तमाः: excellent brāhmaṇas
• द्विज-उत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (उत्तमाः द्विजाः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devotee offers flowers at the shrine, then steps into sacred water to bathe; emerging in clean white garments, he sprinkles and smooths earth, marking a square sthaṇḍila while uttering the bhū formula—ritual precision in a serene setting.

Characters & Entities

• Bhū (earth-formula)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer cleanliness and inner purity are foundational; sacred rites begin with śauca, offerings, and reverent preparation of the worship-space.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate focus is on rite-preparation within a Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha-māhātmya chapter; the tīrtha name is not stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe, wear clean garments, offer flowers, and prepare a sthaṇḍila (ritual ground) using the ‘Bhū’ formula.