Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

निधाय वाससी तत्र मृदमालभ्य गोमयम् । शिखां च बद्ध्वा करयोः कृत्वा च नियतः कुशान्

Transliteration

nidhāya vāsasī tatra mṛdamālabhya gomayam | śikhāṃ ca baddhvā karayoḥ kṛtvā ca niyataḥ kuśān

Translation

Dort legte er seine Gewänder beiseite, nahm Erde und Kuhdung zur rituellen Reinigung. Er band seine Śikhā zusammen und bereitete, in strenger Sammlung, Kuśa-Gras in seinen Händen für den Ritus.

Word by Word

• निधाय: having placed
• निधाय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-धा (धातु) → निधाय (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): 'having placed/put down'

• वाससी: two garments
• वाससी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन; Accusative dual

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

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

• आलभ्य: having taken
• आलभ्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-लभ् (धातु) → आलभ्य (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; 'having taken/touched/obtained'

• गोमयम्: cow-dung
• गोमयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• शिखाम्: the topknot
• शिखाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; conjunction

• बद्ध्वा: having tied
• बद्ध्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बन्ध् (धातु) → बद्ध्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त; 'having tied'

• करयोः: of (his) two hands
• करयोः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, द्विवचन; Genitive dual ('of the two hands')

• कृत्वा: having made/arranged
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त; 'having made/arranged'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; conjunction

• नियतः: disciplined/restrained
• नियतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (qualifying implied सः/मुनिः)

• कुशान्: kuśa-grass blades
• कुशान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; Accusative plural

Speaker

Deductive (Dvārakā Māhātmya narration; traditionally Sūta speaking to the sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomatī–Sāgara Saṅgama (Dvārakā)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the riverbank, the sage carefully arranges his garments, smears cleansing earth and gomaya, ties his śikhā, and holds kuśa-grass—preparing for a disciplined bath at the confluence.

Characters & Entities

• Kuśa (grass)
• Śikhā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer purity practices, done with niyama, support inner reverence when entering a tīrtha’s sanctifying presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The preparations occur at the holy saṅgama associated with the Gomatī and the ocean, within the Cakratīrtha context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Preparations for snāna: setting aside clothes, using mṛd and gomaya for cleansing, tying the śikhā, and handling kuśa grass for rites.