Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

इत्युच्चार्य द्विजश्रेष्ठा मृदमालभ्य पाणिना । प्राङ्मुखः संयतो भूत्वा स्नानं कुर्यादतन्द्रितः

Transliteration

ityuccārya dvijaśreṣṭhā mṛdamālabhya pāṇinā | prāṅmukhaḥ saṃyato bhūtvā snānaṃ kuryādatandritaḥ

Translation

Nachdem man so gesprochen hat, o Bester der Zweimalgeborenen, nehme man mit der Hand reinigende Erde. Nach Osten gewandt und in Selbstzucht, vollziehe man das rituelle Bad aufmerksam und ohne Nachlässigkeit.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/उक्तिसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय

• उच्चार्य: having recited
• उच्चार्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-चर् (धातु) → उच्चार्य (ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-समकक्ष)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having uttered/recited’

• द्विज-श्रेष्ठाः: the best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विज-श्रेष्ठाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (द्विजानां श्रेष्ठाः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• मृदम्: clay/earth
• मृदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• आलभ्य: having taken (in hand)
• आलभ्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-लभ् (धातु) → आलभ्य (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having taken/touched’

• पाणिना: with the hand
• पाणिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• प्राङ्मुखः: facing east
• प्राङ्मुखः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राङ् (अव्यय/दिक्शब्द) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव (प्राङ् + मुखः = पूर्वाभिमुखः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• संयतः: self-controlled
• संयतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-यम् (धातु) → संयत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘restrained/controlled’

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) → भूत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having become’

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• कुर्यात्: should do/perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• अतन्द्रितः: without negligence
• अतन्द्रितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतन्द्रित (प्रातिपदिक; a- + तन्द्रित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘not lazy/untiring’

Speaker

Deductive (Dvārakā Māhātmya context within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa): a Purāṇic narrator instructing devotees/pilgrims (speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā-snānānuṣṭhāna

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-śreṣṭha addressed (instructional vocative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa pilgrim, east-facing at dawn, holds a small lump of sacred earth in his palm, preparing to bathe; the horizon glows, and the waterline/ghāṭa is calm, emphasizing restraint and ritual precision.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is not only physical; it requires attentiveness, restraint, and correct orientation in sacred rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ritual guidance appears within Dvārakā Māhātmya, framing Dvārakā as the sacred setting for meritorious observances.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recite the prescribed formula, take purifying earth (clay), face east, remain self-controlled, and perform snāna diligently.