Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

ततः स्नायाद्द्विजश्रेष्ठा मृदमालिप्य पाणिना । संतर्पयेत्पितॄन्देवान्मनुष्यांश्च यथाक्रमात्

Transliteration

tataḥ snāyāddvijaśreṣṭhā mṛdamālipya pāṇinā | saṃtarpayetpitṝndevānmanuṣyāṃśca yathākramāt

Translation

ثمَّ، يا خيرَ ذوي الولادتين، ينبغي أن يغتسل المرءُ وهو يدلك جسده بالطين بيده؛ ثم على الترتيب يقوم بتَرْپَṇa (تقديم ماء الإرضاء) لإرضاء الأسلاف (الپِتْرِ)، والآلهة، وكذلك الناس.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण), ‘ततः/then’

• snāyāt: should bathe
• snāyāt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; ‘should bathe’

• dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ: the best of the twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija+śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘द्विजानां श्रेष्ठाः’

• mṛdam: clay
• mṛdam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛd (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (मृद्), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘clay/earth’

• ālipya: having smeared/applied
• ālipya: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā+lip (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘आलिप्य’ = ‘having smeared/applied’

• pāṇinā: with the hand
• pāṇinā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• saṃtarpayet: should satisfy (by offerings)
• saṃtarpayet: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃ+tṛp (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; ‘should satisfy/offer’

• pitṝn: the ancestors
• pitṝn: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• devān: the gods
• devān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• manuṣyān: humans
• manuṣyān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manuṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक-निपात)

• yathākramāt: in due order
• yathākramāt: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā+krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; पञ्चमी-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः—‘क्रमानुसारतः/from in due order’

Speaker

Prahlāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nṛga-kūpa

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-śreṣṭhas / brāhmaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim bathes at the well, rubbing cleansing clay over the body; afterward, seated facing the water, he performs tarpaṇa—libations offered in sequence to ancestors, gods, and humans—amid a quiet sacred atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Devas
• Manuṣyas
• Nṛga-kūpa (implied context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma integrates personal purification with gratitude and obligation—toward ancestors, gods, and society—performed in an ordered, sacred way.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The rite is taught for Nṛga-kūpa/Nṛga-tīrtha in the Dvārakā setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe (snāna) with clay-smearing, then perform tarpaṇa in sequence for Pitṛs, Devas, and humans.