Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

स च दृष्ट्वा जलं पातुं तत्रैव कृतनिश्चयः । मुखं हस्तौ च चरणौ क्षालयामास शुद्धये

Transliteration

sa ca dṛṣṭvā jalaṃ pātuṃ tatraiva kṛtaniścayaḥ | mukhaṃ hastau ca caraṇau kṣālayāmāsa śuddhaye

Translation

他见到清水，便决意当场饮用；为求洁净，遂在水中洗了面、双手与双足。

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/ conjunction)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धा. √दृश्)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund); अर्थ: दृष्ट्वा = having seen

• jalam: water
• jalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• pātum: to drink
• pātum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pā (धा. √पा)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive); पानार्थम्

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) = there

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle)

• kṛta-niścayaḥ: having made up his mind
• kṛta-niścayaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (कृ-क्त, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + niścaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भावः: कृतः निश्चयः यस्य (one whose decision is made/firmly resolved)

• mukham: mouth/face
• mukham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• hastau: two hands
• hastau: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/ conjunction)

• caraṇau: two feet
• caraṇau: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन

• kṣālayāmāsa: washed
• kṣālayāmāsa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṣāl (धा. √क्षाल्)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect) periphrastic (आमास-योग), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; अर्थ: क्षालयामास = washed

• śuddhaye: for purification
• śuddhaye: Sampradana (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (for purification)

Speaker

Sūta (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhīma, standing in the pond, splashes water to wash face, hands, and feet; his expression shows determination mixed with desperation; the pond’s surface is disturbed, lotuses sway.

Characters & Entities

• Bhīma
• Kuṇḍa
• Tīrtha water (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity is not merely physical; even ‘washing’ can become an offense if it pollutes what is sacred.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The kuṇḍa treated as divine water reserved for worship and sanctified use.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse describes washing for śuddhi, but the narrative frames it as a misguided act when done inside the sacred pond.