Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

तत्र गत्वा द्विजश्रेष्ठा ह्यर्घ्यं दद्याद्यथाविधि । फलपुष्पाक्षतैर्युक्तं चंदनेन च भूसुराः

Transliteration

tatra gatvā dvijaśreṣṭhā hyarghyaṃ dadyādyathāvidhi | phalapuṣpākṣatairyuktaṃ caṃdanena ca bhūsurāḥ

Translation

فإذا بلغتم هناك، يا خيرَ ذوي الولادتين، فليُقَدَّم الأَرْغْيَا على وفق الشريعة، مقرونًا بالثمار والزهور وحبوب الأرزّ غير المكسورة ومعجون الصندل، يا معشرَ البراهمة.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकर्म (having gone)

• द्विज-श्रेष्ठाः: the best Brahmins
• द्विज-श्रेष्ठाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘best brāhmaṇas’

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

• अर्घ्यम्: arghya offering
• अर्घ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; पूजोपहार (honor-offering)

• दद्याद्: should offer/give
• दद्याद्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; विध्यर्थ (should give)

• यथा-विधि: according to rule
• यथा-विधि: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (indeclinable adverbial compound)

• फल-पुष्प-अक्षतैः: with fruits, flowers, and rice-grains
• फल-पुष्प-अक्षतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक) + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व: ‘with fruits, flowers, and unbroken rice’

• युक्तम्: combined/associated
• युक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘endowed/combined’ (agreeing with अर्घ्यम्)

• चन्दनेन: with sandalwood
• चन्दनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

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

• भू-सुराः: the Brahmins
• भू-सुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक) + सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘earth-gods’ = brāhmaṇas

Speaker

Prahlāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nṛga-kūpa

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-śreṣṭhas / bhūsuras (brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims arrive at a stone-lined well; a brāhmaṇa prepares a copper vessel of arghya with flowers, fruits, akṣata, and sandal paste, hands poised in careful ritual sequence.

Characters & Entities

• Nṛga-kūpa
• Arghya
• Bhūsura (brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred sites are approached through disciplined, reverent worship; correct ritual honors the deity and activates tīrtha merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nṛga-kūpa/Nṛga-tīrtha in the Dvārakā context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer arghya according to vidhi, using fruits, flowers, akṣata (unbroken rice), and sandal paste.