Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

अथवा का हि पानीये भवेदशुचिता वद । मृत्तिकोद्भवकुम्भोऽयं पावकेनापि पाचितः

Transliteration

athavā kā hi pānīye bhavedaśucitā vada | mṛttikodbhavakumbho'yaṃ pāvakenāpi pācitaḥ

Translation

又或者，告诉我：水中怎会有不净？此器皿出自泥土，亦经火焰烧炼而成。

Word by Word

• athavā: or else
• athavā: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: athavā (अव्यय)
• Form: Vikalpa-nipāta (disjunctive particle/अथवा)

• kā: what?/which?
• kā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (Feminine), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular), Interrogative pronoun

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Avadhāraṇa/Hetu-nipāta (particle/हि)

• pānīye: in water
• pānīye: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pānīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), Saptamī vibhakti (7th/सप्तमी), Ekavacana (Singular)

• bhavet: could be/would be
• bhavet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: Liṅ-lakāra (Optative/विधिलिङ्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person/प्रथम), Ekavacana (Singular), Parasmaipada

• aśucitā: impurity
• aśucitā: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśucitā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (Feminine), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular)

• vada: say/tell
• vada: Kriyā (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vad (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ-lakāra (Imperative/लोट्), Madhyama-puruṣa (2nd person/मध्यम), Ekavacana (Singular), Parasmaipada

• mṛttikā-udbhava-kumbhaḥ: this clay-born pot
• mṛttikā-udbhava-kumbhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛttikā (प्रातिपदिक) + udbhava (प्रातिपदिक) + kumbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular); ṣaṣṭhī/pañcamī-tatpuruṣa sense: 'earthen pot (kumbha) arising from clay'

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular)

• pāvakena: by fire
• pāvakena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāvaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Tṛtīyā vibhakti (3rd/तृतीया), Ekavacana (Singular)

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Sambhāvanā/Avadhāraṇa-nipāta (particle/अपि)

• pācitaḥ: baked/cooked
• pācitaḥ: Kriyā (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pac (धातु)
• Form: Kta-pratyaya (past passive participle/क्त), Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular); agrees with kumbhaḥ

Speaker

Unspecified (within dialogue; speaker not named in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disputation near a hermitage: a speaker holds a clay pot, pointing to water; a small fire kiln is shown in the background to indicate baking; listeners reflect on purity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It challenges rigid notions of impurity by reasoning about the inherent purity of water and the purification of vessels.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly discusses purity criteria for water and containers; no explicit rite is prescribed.