Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

स्नानं कृत्वा विधानेन तोयप्रस्रवणादिषु । योर्चयेदच्युतं भक्त्या पंचोपचारपूजया

Transliteration

snānaṃ kṛtvā vidhānena toyaprasravaṇādiṣu | yorcayedacyutaṃ bhaktyā paṃcopacārapūjayā

Translation

依仪轨在泉眼等出水之处沐浴之后，凡以虔敬之心礼拜不堕者阿周多（Acyuta），以五供之礼（pañcopacāra）奉献者，

Word by Word

• स्नानम्: bath
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object of ‘कृत्वा’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having done’

• विधानेन: according to the prescribed method
• विधानेन: Karana (Means/Method)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; साधन/प्रकार (according to rule/by proper procedure)

• तोयप्रस्रवणादिषु: in (places such as) water-springs etc.
• तोयप्रस्रवणादिषु: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय + प्रस्रवण + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘तोयस्य प्रस्रवणम्’ + ‘आदि’); पुं/नपुंसक; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘-आदि’ समाहार (in places like water-springs etc.)

• यः: whoever
• यः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (who)

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष? (actually 3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘should worship’

• अच्युतम्: Acyuta (Viṣṇu)
• अच्युतम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अच्युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विष्णोः नाम

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Means/Manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; साधन/भाव (with devotion)

• पञ्चोपचारपूजया: by worship with five offerings
• पञ्चोपचारपूजया: Karana (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + उपचार + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/द्विगु-भाव: ‘पञ्च उपचाराः’ तैः ‘पूजा’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims bathe at a clear spring/outflow near rocks and sacred trees; afterward they approach Acyuta’s shrine carrying flowers, incense, lamp, and offering plate for pañcopacāra.

Characters & Entities

• Acyuta
• Viṣṇu
• pañcopacāra
• tīrtha (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity of body through prescribed bathing and purity of heart through bhakti culminate in effective worship of Viṣṇu.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A general tīrtha setting is implied—springs and sacred water outlets—rather than a named location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at a tīrtha-like water source followed by Viṣṇu worship using pañcopacāra (five-offering) pūjā.