Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

शंखे कृत्वा तु पानीयं भ्रामयेद्भावसंयुतः । भ्रामयित्वा च शिरसा धारणीयं विशुद्धये

Transliteration

śaṃkhe kṛtvā tu pānīyaṃ bhrāmayedbhāvasaṃyutaḥ | bhrāmayitvā ca śirasā dhāraṇīyaṃ viśuddhaye

Translation

Gibt man Wasser in die Muschel (Śaṅkha), soll man sie in hingebungsvoller Gesinnung schwenken; danach berühre oder lege man sie zum Zwecke der Reinigung an das Haupt.

Word by Word

• śaṃkhe: in the conch
• śaṃkhe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Masculine, Locative, Singular

• kṛtvā: having made/placed
• kṛtvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṛ (धातु) + ktvā (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); ‘having done/made’

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• pānīyam: water (drinkable water)
• pānīyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pānīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• bhrāmayet: should rotate/wave around
• bhrāmayet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhram (धातु) (causative: bhrāmaya-)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Causative stem, Optative, 3rd person, Singular

• bhāva-saṃyutaḥ: endowed with devotion
• bhāva-saṃyutaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāva (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyuta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (bhāvena saṃyutaḥ = endowed with devotion/feeling); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• bhrāmayitvā: having rotated/waved
• bhrāmayitvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhram (धातु) (causative) + itvā (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive) from causative; ‘having rotated’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• śirasā: with the head (on the head)
• śirasā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• dhāraṇīyam: should be held/borne
• dhāraṇīyam: Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhṛ (धातु) + anīya (कृदन्त)
• Form: अनीयर्-कृदन्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be held/worn’

• viśuddhaye: for purification
• viśuddhaye: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśuddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन), एकवचन; Feminine, Dative, Singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; ritual instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (śaṅkha-jala śuddhi)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A conch filled with water is gently circled before the deity; afterward the devotee reverently touches it to the crown of the head, eyes closed in gratitude.

Characters & Entities

• Conch (śaṅkha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External purification rites mirror the inner intent to become fit (śuddha) for divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, through the detailed worship-ritual sequence for Rukmiṇī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Wave water kept in a conch and then touch/hold it to the head as an act of purification.