Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 177

Devanagari script

वायुरुवाच । विलेपनानि शुभ्राणि सुगंधानि विशेषतः । योत्र दास्यति विप्रेभ्यो नीरोगः स भविष्यति

Transliteration

vāyuruvāca | vilepanāni śubhrāṇi sugaṃdhāni viśeṣataḥ | yotra dāsyati viprebhyo nīrogaḥ sa bhaviṣyati

Translation

Vāyu sprach: Wer hier den Brāhmaṇas reine, helle und besonders wohlriechende Salben darbringt, wird frei von Krankheit sein.

Word by Word

• वायुः: Vāyu
• वायुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• विलेपनानि: unguents, ointments
• विलेपनानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विलेपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन

• शुभ्राणि: white, pure
• शुभ्राणि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (विलेपनानि)

• सुगन्धानि: fragrant
• सुगन्धानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (सु-गन्धानि = सुगन्धयुक्तानि)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Prakāra (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• दास्यति: will give
• दास्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• विप्रेभ्यः: to the Brahmins
• विप्रेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी/पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Dat./Abl. 4th/5th), बहुवचन; अत्र चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान)

• नीरोगः: healthy, free from disease
• नीरोगः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि (उपसर्ग) + रोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः (न रोगः यस्य)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निर्देशार्थक (correlative pronoun)

• भविष्यति: will become
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Vāyu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-tīrtha (dāna-sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vāyu speaks as an invisible yet felt presence; devotees present white, fragrant unguents to Brāhmaṇas near a shrine; the air seems perfumed and moving, suggesting Vāyu’s blessing and healthful vitality.

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu
• vipra (Brāhmaṇa)
• vilepana-dāna
• ārogya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Refined, respectful gifts offered in a holy place—such as fragrant unguents—are portrayed as dharma that supports health and well-being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda Khaṇḍa āśrama/tīrtha context is praised as a place where even small acts of dāna yield tangible fruits like ārogya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Donation of clean, fragrant vilepanas (ointments/pastes) to Brāhmaṇas.