Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

अथोपोष्य शिरःस्नाता देवतामभिगम्य च । हुत्वाग्निं विधिवद्विप्रान्वाचयेद्वरवर्णिनी

Transliteration

athopoṣya śiraḥsnātā devatāmabhigamya ca | hutvāgniṃ vidhivadviprānvācayedvaravarṇinī

Translation

Dann, nachdem sie gefastet und gebadet — das Haupt gewaschen — hatte, trat sie zur Gottheit; und nachdem sie nach Vorschrift Opfergaben ins Feuer dargebracht hatte, ließ das vortreffliche Mädchen die Brāhmaṇas die heiligen Texte rezitieren.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connective)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereupon)

• उपोष्य: having fasted
• उपोष्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-√वस्/√उष्? (धातु; उपवासे) → उपोष्य (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having fasted’ (from denominative/causative usage of उपवास/उपोष)

• शिरःस्नाता: having bathed (head-bathed)
• शिरःस्नाता: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिरस्-स्नात (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-समासः—शिरसि स्नाता (bathed the head); भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• देवताम्: the deity
• देवताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• अभिगम्य: having approached
• अभिगम्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√गम् (धातु; गत्यर्थे)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having approached’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• हुत्वा: having offered
• हुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हु (धातु; होमादाने)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having offered (oblation)’

• अग्निम्: fire
• अग्निम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• विधिवत्: according to rule
• विधिवत्: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; रीति/प्रकार-वाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• विप्रान्: brāhmaṇas
• विप्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; Accusative plural

• वाचयेत्: should cause to recite; should have them recite
• वाचयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु; वचने) (णिच् causative: वाचयति)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative)

• वरवर्णिनी: the fair/beautiful lady
• वरवर्णिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर-वर्णिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—वरा वर्णिनी (excellent/beautiful-complexioned woman); subject of वाचयेत्

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn, the maiden completes her fast, performs a head-bath, approaches the deity with reverence, offers oblations into a small sacred fire, and arranges for brāhmaṇas to chant Vedic/hymnic passages.

Characters & Entities

• Sāvitrī
• Devatā
• Agni
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A vrata is completed through bodily discipline (fasting), ritual purity (bath), devotion (approaching the deity), and sanctifying acts (homa and recitation).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider narrative is situated in Prabhāsa-kṣetra, whose sanctity frames these rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Fasting (upoṣa), head-bath (śiraḥsnāna), approaching the deity, fire-offering (homa), and arranging brāhmaṇas’ recitation.