Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 175

Devanagari script

देवदारुं च दहतो भवत्यन्नमथाक्षयम् । विलेपनं कुंकुमेन सर्वकामफलप्रदम्

Transliteration

devadāruṃ ca dahato bhavatyannamathākṣayam | vilepanaṃ kuṃkumena sarvakāmaphalapradam

Translation

Wer Devadāru verbrennt, dem wird Speise unerschöpflich. Und die Salbung mit Kuṅkuma (Safran) verleiht die Früchte aller ersehnten Ziele.

Word by Word

• देवदारुम्: deodar (cedar) wood
• देवदारुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवदारु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordinator/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• दहतः: of (one) burning
• दहतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘of one who burns’

• भवति: becomes, arises
• भवति: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तृ/प्रथमा (result as subject)

• अथ: then, moreover
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर-अव्यय (then/now; particle)

• अक्षयम्: inexhaustible
• अक्षयम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of अन्नम्)

• विलेपनम्: smearing, anointment
• विलेपनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विलेपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तृ/प्रथमा (topic/subject)

• कुंकुमेन: with saffron/kuṅkuma
• कुंकुमेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुंकुम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; करण

• सर्वकामफलप्रदम्: granting the fruits of all desires
• सर्वकामफलप्रदम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + काम + फल + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक; components)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां कामानां फलप्रदम्) विशेषण (of विलेपनम्)

Speaker

Narrator (within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya; speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (akṣaya-anna and sarva-kāma phala)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A shrine bathed in golden light: devadāru incense burns, suggesting evergreen abundance; the deity is anointed with bright red kuṅkuma, while baskets of grain symbolize akṣaya-anna and fulfilled aims.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Devadāru
• Kuṅkuma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma-centered worship is portrayed as sustaining life itself—food, fulfillment, and stability flow from reverent offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, as a sacred setting where such Sūrya-oriented rites bear exceptional fruit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Burn devadāru as dhūpa; apply kuṅkuma as a sacred anointment (vilepana).