Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

विषमौ द्विगुणैर्दर्भैः सतिलैर्वामपार्श्वतः । पाणौ तोयं परिक्षिप्य न दर्भांस्तु कथं चन

Transliteration

viṣamau dviguṇairdarbhaiḥ satilairvāmapārśvataḥ | pāṇau toyaṃ parikṣipya na darbhāṃstu kathaṃ cana

Translation

بائیں جانب حکم کے مطابق غیر مساوی ترتیب رکھی جائے، دربھ گھاس دوگنی مقدار میں اور تل کے ساتھ۔ ہاتھ پر پانی چھڑک کر، کسی حال میں بھی دربھوں کو بے ادبی یا غلط طریقے سے نہ رکھا جائے نہ چھیڑا جائے۔

Word by Word

• विषमौ: uneven (two)
• विषमौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; विशेषण (दर्भौ/दर्भौ इत्यर्थे)

• द्विगुणैः: with double-folded / doubled
• द्विगुणैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (दर्भैः)

• दर्भैः: with darbha grass
• दर्भैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सतिलैः: with sesame (mixed)
• सतिलैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; 'तिलयुक्त' इति विशेषण (दर्भैः)

• वामपार्श्वतः: from the left side
• वामपार्श्वतः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण-अर्थे अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वाम + पार्श्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

• पाणौ: in the hand
• पाणौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परिक्षिप्य: having sprinkled
• परिक्षिप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) अव्ययभाव; 'having sprinkled/placed around'

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• दर्भान्: darbhas
• दर्भान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तु: however
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis/contrast)

• कथं: how
• कथं: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• चन: ever/at all
• चन: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात, 'कदाचन/कथंचन' इत्यर्थे (indefinite particle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A focused depiction of hands and offerings: doubled darbha blades laid on the left side with sesame seeds; the priest sprinkles water over the palm; a cautionary gesture indicates ‘do not mishandle’ the darbha.

Characters & Entities

• darbha
• tila (sesame)
• udaka (water)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Carefulness and purity in small ritual details are presented as forms of respect toward the Pitṛs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding chapter is a Tīrthamāhātmya; this verse is procedural and does not name a particular site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use doubled darbha with sesame on the left side; sprinkle water on the hand; do not mishandle the darbha.