Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

ततः स्नानं प्रकर्तव्यमन्यथा दोष उच्यते । किं न श्रुतस्त्वया प्रोक्तः श्लोकः पद्मभुवा पुरा

Transliteration

tataḥ snānaṃ prakartavyamanyathā doṣa ucyate | kiṃ na śrutastvayā proktaḥ ślokaḥ padmabhuvā purā

Translation

唯有在此之后方可沐浴；否则便被宣说为有过失。你难道未曾听闻莲生者（梵天 Padmabhū）昔日所说的偈颂吗？

Word by Word

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: then/thereafter)

• snānam: bathing
• snānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (neuter nominative singular)

• prakartavyam: must be done
• prakartavyam: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√kṛ (कृ) धातु
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (कर्तव्यत्/तव्यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (gerundive: to be done)

• anyathā: otherwise
• anyathā: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: otherwise)

• doṣaḥ: fault/blemish
• doṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: doṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine nominative singular)

• ucyate: is said/called
• ucyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच्) धातु
• Form: लट्, कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (present indicative, 3rd sg)

• kim: what?/is it that...?
• kim: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (interrogative pronoun)

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

• śrutaḥ: heard
• śrutaḥ: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (श्रु) धातु
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masc nom sg): heard

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीय-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental singular: by you)

• proktaḥ: spoken/taught
• proktaḥ: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (वच्) धातु
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masc nom sg): spoken/taught

• ślokaḥ: verse
• ślokaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śloka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine nominative singular)

• padmabhuvā: by Padmabhū (Brahmā)
• padmabhuvā: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: padma-bhū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (masc instrumental singular); बहुव्रीहिः: padme bhavati iti (one who is born in/from a lotus = Brahmā)

• purā: formerly
• purā: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: formerly/once)

Speaker

Suhṛdaya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-like ascetic points to the bank, instructing a pilgrim: ‘Only after the proper steps should you bathe’; a subtle aura suggests Brahmā’s ancient ordinance.

Characters & Entities

• Suhṛdaya
• Brahmā (Padmabhū)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual acts at tīrthas should follow authoritative procedure; negligence becomes a doṣa (ritual fault).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha; the emphasis is on universally applicable tīrtha discipline backed by Brahmā’s teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe only after following the proper preliminary steps; otherwise it is considered faulty.