Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

दीक्षा ग्राह्या नृपश्रेष्ठ पुरश्चरणमादितः । कृत्वा कायविशुद्ध्यर्थं ततः श्रेयस्करी भवेत्

Transliteration

dīkṣā grāhyā nṛpaśreṣṭha puraścaraṇamāditaḥ | kṛtvā kāyaviśuddhyarthaṃ tataḥ śreyaskarī bhavet

Translation

O bester der Könige, nimm zuerst die Dīkṣā an und beginne sodann mit den vorbereitenden Observanzen (Puraścaraṇa). Wenn dies zur Reinigung des Leibes vollzogen ist, wird es zum Spender des höchsten Heils.

Word by Word

• दीक्षा: initiation (dīkṣā)
• दीक्षा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ग्राह्या: to be accepted / should be taken
• ग्राह्या: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) → ग्राह्य (कृदन्त/gerundive)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective); कर्तरि-भावे ‘ग्रहणीय/स्वीकार्य’

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नृपाणां श्रेष्ठः)

• पुरश्चरणम्: preliminary observance (puraścaraṇa)
• पुरश्चरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरस् (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ) + चरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव-समासः (पुरः + चरणम्)

• आदितः: at first / in the beginning
• आदितः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वान्त/अव्ययभाव)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• कायविशुद्ध्यर्थम्: for the purpose of bodily purification
• कायविशुद्ध्यर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काय (प्रातिपदिक) + विशुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुषः (काय-विशुद्ध्यर्थम् = कायस्य विशुद्ध्यर्थम्)

• ततः: then / thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक तद्)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• श्रेयस्करी: beneficial / bringing welfare
• श्रेयस्करी: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (श्रेयसः करी)

• भवेत्: would be / should become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (ritual instructors)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa officiant places a sacred thread/marks the king for dīkṣā; nearby are kuśa grass, kalaśa, and a small homa fire. The king undertakes austere preparatory observances, shown by simple attire and controlled posture.

Characters & Entities

• dīkṣā
• puraścaraṇa
• nṛpaśreṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity and preparation are integral to dharma; inner resolve must be matched by disciplined preliminaries.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the focus is on ritual eligibility through dīkṣā and preparatory practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Accept dīkṣā first and undertake puraścaraṇa as a preliminary discipline aimed at bodily purification.