Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

प्रपा कार्या च वैशाखे देवे देया गलंतिका । उशीरं व्यजनं छत्रं सूक्ष्मवासांसि चंदनम्

Transliteration

prapā kāryā ca vaiśākhe deve deyā galaṃtikā | uśīraṃ vyajanaṃ chatraṃ sūkṣmavāsāṃsi caṃdanam

Translation

Im Monat Vaiśākha soll man eine prapā, eine öffentliche Wasserstelle, errichten und für den göttlichen Dienst eine galaṃtikā, einen Wasserfilter, darbringen. Ferner gebe man duftendes uśīra, Fächer, Schirme, feine Gewänder und Sandelholz.

Word by Word

• prapā: a water-shed/drinking booth
• prapā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prapā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• kāryā: should be made
• kāryā: Karta-sāmānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु) + ya (कृत् प्रत्यय); kārya (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective), कर्मणि-भावे ‘to be done/made’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• vaiśākhe: in (the month of) Vaiśākha
• vaiśākhe: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiśākha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण (time-locative)

• deve: to the deity
• deve: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; सम्प्रदान (recipient)

• deyā: should be given
• deyā: Karta-sāmānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dā (दा धातु) + ya (कृत् प्रत्यय); deya (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण ‘to be given’

• galaṃtikā: a water-strainer/filter (galaṃtikā)
• galaṃtikā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: galaṃtikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• uśīram: vetiver (uśīra)
• uśīram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uśīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; दान-वस्तु (thing to be given)

• vyajanam: fan
• vyajanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyajana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; दान-वस्तु

• chatram: umbrella
• chatram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chatra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; दान-वस्तु

• sūkṣma-vāsāṃsi: fine garments
• sūkṣma-vāsāṃsi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūkṣma (प्रातिपदिक) + vāsas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (‘fine’ + ‘garments’); दान-वस्तु

• caṃdanam: sandalwood
• caṃdanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: candana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; दान-वस्तु

Speaker

Deductive: a Purāṇic narrator/teacher within Brahmakhaṇḍa (speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sunlit summer roadside with a prapā (water pavilion): attendants offering cool strained water; nearby a temple servant receives a galaṃtikā; donors present uśīra bundles, fans, umbrellas, fine cloth, and sandalwood paste.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśākha (month)
• Deva (deity/temple service)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassionate public service and temple offerings—especially in the heat of Vaiśākha—become powerful dharma and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; the instruction is broadly applicable to temples and pilgrimage routes where travelers need water.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Establish a prapā (water station), give a water-strainer for deity service, and donate cooling/fragrant items like uśīra, fans, umbrellas, fine cloth, and sandalwood.