Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

एतस्मात्कारणाद्विप्राः प्रथमं पूज्यते सदा । गंधधूपाक्षतैर्वस्त्रैर्मोदकैस्तं प्रतर्पयेत्

Transliteration

etasmātkāraṇādviprāḥ prathamaṃ pūjyate sadā | gaṃdhadhūpākṣatairvastrairmodakaistaṃ pratarpayet

Translation

ولهذا السبب بعينه، يا معشرَ البراهمة، يُعبَدُ دائمًا أولًا. وينبغي إرضاؤه بالعِطر، والبخور، و«أكشَتا» (حبوبٍ غير مكسورة)، والكسوة، و«مودَكا».

Word by Word

• एतस्मात्: from this
• एतस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• कारणात्: because of the reason
• कारणात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम्

• विप्राः: Brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम्

• प्रथमम्: first
• प्रथमम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• पूज्यते: is worshipped
• पूज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (Passive)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण/adverb of time)

• गन्धधूपाक्षतैः: with perfumes, incense, and unbroken rice
• गन्धधूपाक्षतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध + धूप + अक्षत (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम्; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः

• वस्त्रैः: with garments
• वस्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम्

• मोदकैः: with sweet balls (modakas)
• मोदकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम्

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• प्रतर्पयेत्: should satisfy/offer oblations to
• प्रतर्पयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्गः: प्र-

Speaker

Narrator (addressing viprāḥ within the Purāṇic discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (explicit: ‘viprāḥ’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas are instructed that the obstacle-remover is always worshipped first; devotees offer fragrance, incense, akṣata, cloth, and modakas in a neat pūjā arrangement.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇanātha (implied)
• Brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspicious action begins with honoring the remover of obstacles; ordered worship protects one’s endeavors and aligns them with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, as the setting where worship-sequence and ritual norms are authoritatively taught.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship Gaṇanātha first and offer gandha (fragrance), dhūpa (incense), akṣata (unbroken grains), vastra (cloth), and modaka (sweet offering).