Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

शतशोऽपि तथा स्नाता न शुद्धा भावदूषिताः । अंतःकरणशुद्धांश्च तान्विभूतिः पवित्रयेत्

Transliteration

śataśo'pi tathā snātā na śuddhā bhāvadūṣitāḥ | aṃtaḥkaraṇaśuddhāṃśca tānvibhūtiḥ pavitrayet

Translation

纵使如此沐浴百遍，若性情被染污，亦不得清净。惟有内器（心与意）已澄明者，方由圣灰 vibhūti 而得加持、成其清净。

Word by Word

• शतशः: hundreds of times
• शतशः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शतशः (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/संख्या-वाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘by hundreds, hundreds of times’)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (even/also)

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (thus/in that way)

• स्नाताः: (those who have) bathed
• स्नाताः: Karta (Agent as described/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘(they) having bathed’

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

• शुद्धाः: pure
• शुद्धाः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• भावदूषिताः: tainted by (impure) disposition
• भावदूषिताः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भाव + दूषित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः: ‘भावेन दूषिताः’ (tainted in disposition)

• अन्तःकरणशुद्धान्: those pure in inner instrument (mind)
• अन्तःकरणशुद्धान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तःकरण + शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अन्तःकरणस्य शुद्धाः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• विभूतिः: sacred ash (vibhūti)
• विभूतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभूति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पवित्रयेत्: should purify
• पवित्रयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पवित्रय् (धातु, नामधातु from पवित्र)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dharmāraṇya-khaṇḍa narrative style within Brahmakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vibhūti (bhasma) as purifier (conceptual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee with calm, luminous face receives vibhūti on forehead and limbs from a Śaiva guru; behind them, a crowd repeatedly bathing appears restless and darkened by smoky hues—symbolizing bhāva-doṣa vs antaḥkaraṇa-śuddhi.

Characters & Entities

• Vibhūti (sacred ash)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Without purified intention and mind, repeated ritual bathing does not cleanse; inner purity is decisive.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The focus is doctrinal (inner purification) rather than a named geography; it aligns with Dharmāraṇya’s dharma-teaching frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use of vibhūti (sacred ash) is praised as sanctifying for those possessing antaḥkaraṇa-śuddhi.