Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

ये भूतानामधीत्येवं ततः प्रोच्य प्रपूजयेत् । धूरसीति च मंत्रेण धूपं दद्यात्समाहितः

Transliteration

ye bhūtānāmadhītyevaṃ tataḥ procya prapūjayet | dhūrasīti ca maṃtreṇa dhūpaṃ dadyātsamāhitaḥ

Translation

Nachdem man so die Formeln über die bhūta (Wesen/Elemente) studiert bzw. rezitiert und sie dann verkündet hat, soll man die Verehrung vollständig vollziehen. Mit gesammeltem Geist bringe man Weihrauch dar mit dem Mantra „Dhūr asi“.

Word by Word

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• भूतानाम्: of beings
• भूतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अधीत्य: having studied/recited
• अधीत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि-√इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया; धातुः—इ (अध्ययने) उपसर्गः—अधि

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम्

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक/अपादानार्थक (then/from that)

• प्रोच्य: having uttered/said
• प्रोच्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया; धातुः—वच् (वचने) उपसर्गः—प्र

• प्रपूजयेत्: should worship
• प्रपूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• धूरसीति: “dhūrasi” (mantra words)
• धूरसीति: Vacana (Quotation/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: धूरसि (मन्त्रपद/पदसमूह)
• Form: मन्त्र-उद्धरणरूप अव्यय (quoted mantra phrase); इति-समाप्तिसूचक

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात

• मंत्रेण: with the mantra
• मंत्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• धूपम्: incense
• धूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दद्यात्: should offer/give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• समाहितः: collected, attentive
• समाहितः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-√धा (धातु) → समाहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) विशेषणम् (यजमानस्य)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yajamāna in a tīrtha precinct offers curling incense smoke before a deity/earth-form altar, hands steady, ritual vessels arranged; a priestly recitation atmosphere implied.

Characters & Entities

• Bhūta (elements/beings)
• Dhūr asi (mantra)
• Dhūpa (incense)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Focused mind (samādhāna) and mantra-guided offerings transform ritual into conscious worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the verse details a standard worship step used in tīrtha-related rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer dhūpa (incense) while reciting the mantra ‘Dhūr asi’, after recitations related to the bhūtas/elements.