Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

आश्वत्थं दन्तकाष्ठं च अर्घ्यं वै द्राक्षया तथा । मोचं च प्राशयेद्रात्रावश्वमेधफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

āśvatthaṃ dantakāṣṭhaṃ ca arghyaṃ vai drākṣayā tathā | mocaṃ ca prāśayedrātrāvaśvamedhaphalaṃ labhet

Translation

Man soll ein Zahnhölzchen aus Aśvattha verwenden und Arghya auch mit Trauben darbringen. Nachts soll man Moca (Banane/Plantane) essen und dadurch Verdienst wie beim Aśvamedha-Opfer erlangen.

Word by Word

• āśvattham: (made) of aśvattha (sacred fig)
• āśvattham: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āśvattha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (dantakāṣṭham)

• dantakāṣṭham: tooth-stick
• dantakāṣṭham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: danta (प्रातिपदिक) + kāṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

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

• arghyam: arghya offering (water/oblation)
• arghyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arghya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis)

• drākṣayā: with grapes
• drākṣayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: drākṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise)

• mocam: plantain/banana
• mocam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: moca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

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

• prāśayet: should eat / should cause to be eaten
• prāśayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prāś (प्राश्, भक्षणे) (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (contextually ‘should eat/should cause to be eaten’), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• rātrau: at night
• rātrau: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rātri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• aśvamedhaphalam: the fruit (merit) of the Aśvamedha sacrifice
• aśvamedhaphalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśvamedha (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• labhet: would obtain
• labhet: Kriya (Result/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (लभ्, प्राप्तौ) (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced from Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa Māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Morning at a pilgrim rest-house: devotee holding an aśvattha twig tooth-stick; later, arghya offered in a small vessel with grapes; night scene with banana offered/eaten as prasāda; a caption-like aura suggesting 'Aśvamedha fruit'.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvattha
• Aśvamedha
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

At a powerful tīrtha, sincere vrata can grant merits traditionally associated with grand Vedic sacrifices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, renowned for conferring extraordinary puṇya through observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use aśvattha tooth-stick, offer arghya with grapes, eat banana at night; the stated fruit is Aśvamedha-merit.