Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

नीलीरक्तं यदा वस्त्रं विप्रस्त्वंगेषु धारयेत् । अहोरात्रोषितो भूत्वा पञ्चगव्येन शुद्ध्यति

Transliteration

nīlīraktaṃ yadā vastraṃ viprastvaṃgeṣu dhārayet | ahorātroṣito bhūtvā pañcagavyena śuddhyati

Translation

Wenn ein Brāhmaṇa zufällig blau-rote Kleidung am Körper trägt, dann wird er, nachdem er einen Tag und eine Nacht in Enthaltsamkeit verbracht hat, durch Pañcagavya gereinigt.

Word by Word

• नीलीरक्तम्: blue-and-red
• नीलीरक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नीली (प्रातिपदिक) + रक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (वर्णद्वन्द्वः), द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘blue and red’ qualifying ‘वस्त्रं’

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb) ‘when’

• वस्त्रम्: a garment
• वस्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विप्रः: a brāhmaṇa
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• अङ्गेषु: on (his) limbs
• अङ्गेषु: Adhikarana (Location/देश-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘on the limbs/body’

• धारयेत्: should wear
• धारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; ‘should wear’

• अहोरात्रोषितः: having spent a day and a night
• अहोरात्रोषितः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अहोरात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + उषित (कृदन्त, √वस् ‘to dwell’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः + क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः; ‘having stayed for a day and night’

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

• पञ्चगव्येन: with pañcagavya
• पञ्चगव्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + गव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः ‘five products of the cow’ (pañcagavya)

• शुद्ध्यति: is purified
• शुद्ध्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; ‘becomes purified’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa, having erred in attire, sits in restraint through day and night; at dawn he receives pañcagavya from an elder, then approaches the tīrtha with renewed purity.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)
• Pañcagavya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When a rule is broken, Purāṇic dharma provides a remedial path—atonement and purification—so the practitioner can return to right conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context remains Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya, where such purity rules govern observances performed in/for Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ahorātra abstinence followed by pañcagavya purification for a vipra who wore blue-red cloth.