Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

मुखे पर्युषिते नित्यं भवत्यप्रयतो द्विजः । तस्माच्छुष्कमथार्द्रं वा भक्षयेद्दंतधावनम्

Transliteration

mukhe paryuṣite nityaṃ bhavatyaprayato dvijaḥ | tasmācchuṣkamathārdraṃ vā bhakṣayeddaṃtadhāvanam

Translation

Bleibt der Mund stets mit abgestandenem Rest unrein, gilt der Zweimalgeborene immer als nachlässig in der Reinheit. Darum soll er ein Zahnreinigungszweiglein verwenden, sei es trocken oder frisch und feucht, zur Reinigung.

Word by Word

• मुखे: in the mouth
• मुखे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, locative singular)

• पर्युषिते: when (it is) stale/overnight
• पर्युषिते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि + वस् (धातु) → पर्युषित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), ‘having stayed overnight/stale’ (locative singular agreeing with मुखे)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-एकवचनम्; नित्यं = सदा (adverbial accusative: always)

• भवति: becomes
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (becomes/is)

• अप्रयतः: unpurified, careless
• अप्रयतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + प्रयत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-समास/उपसर्गयुक्त विशेषण (masculine nominative singular: unrestrained/impure)

• द्विजः: a Brahmin (twice-born)
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति तद्धित-निपातवत्; हेत्वर्थे पञ्चमी-एकवचन (ablative singular used adverbially: therefore/from that reason)

• शुष्कम्: dry
• शुष्कम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुष्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; दन्तधावन-विशेषण (neuter, accusative singular: dry)

• अथ: then/and
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक/समुच्चयार्थक (indeclinable: then/and)

• आर्द्रम्: moist
• आर्द्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आर्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; दन्तधावन-विशेषण (neuter, accusative singular: moist)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable particle: or)

• भक्षयेत्: should chew
• भक्षयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (should eat/chew)

• दन्तधावनम्: tooth-cleaning twig/cleanser
• दन्तधावनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त + धावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (neuter, accusative singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya instructional tone)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Morning at a tīrtha rest-house: a dvija prepares for worship, selecting a proper twig and rinsing, with clean vessels and a rising sun indicating the start of nitya-karma.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija
• Dantadhāvana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity begins with disciplined daily conduct; even small neglect (like stale mouth-impurity) undermines sacred readiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, within the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use a dantadhāvana (tooth-cleaning twig), whether dry or fresh, to cleanse the mouth before further rites.