Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

गंधतोयैरुपस्कृत्य गायत्र्या प्रणवेन च । प्रोक्षयेत्सर्वद्रव्याणि पश्चादर्चनमारभेत्

Transliteration

gaṃdhatoyairupaskṛtya gāyatryā praṇavena ca | prokṣayetsarvadravyāṇi paścādarcanamārabhet

Translation

সুগন্ধি জলে সংস্কার করে, গায়ত্রী ও প্রণব (ওঁ) সহ সমস্ত দ্রব্যে প্রোক্ষণ কর; তারপর অর্চনা আরম্ভ কর।

Word by Word

• गन्ध-तोयैः: with scented waters
• गन्ध-तोयैः: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; गन्धयुक्तैः तोयैः (instrumental plural)

• उपस्कृत्य: having prepared
• उपस्कृत्य: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial to main action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उप + √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); ‘having prepared/arranged’

• गायत्र्या: with the Gāyatrī (mantra)
• गायत्र्या: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• प्रणवेन: with the praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणवेन: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्रोक्षयेत्: should sprinkle
• प्रोक्षयेत्: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √उक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सर्व-द्रव्याणि: all materials/offerings
• सर्व-द्रव्याणि: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक) + द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; ‘all (kinds of) materials’

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/क्रमवाचक अव्यय (adverb of sequence)

• अर्चनम्: worship
• अर्चनम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• आरभेत्: should begin
• आरभेत्: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √रभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee sprinkles scented water over arranged ritual items while softly chanting Oṃ and Gāyatrī; droplets catch lamplight; the liṅga awaits the first upacāra.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Gāyatrī
• Praṇava (Oṃ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification precedes adoration: mantra and sanctified water prepare the offerings and the mind for true worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where classical mantra-based purification is integrated into the local worship sequence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Asperge all items with scented water while invoking Gāyatrī and Oṃ, then begin arcana (formal worship).