Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

बृहस्पतिबलं गृह्य सूर्यं संतर्प्य चोत्तमम् । वामतः पृष्ठतः सर्वं वृत्वा संशोध्य वासरम्

Transliteration

bṛhaspatibalaṃ gṛhya sūryaṃ saṃtarpya cottamam | vāmataḥ pṛṣṭhataḥ sarvaṃ vṛtvā saṃśodhya vāsaram

Translation

„Nachdem man die Kraft Bṛhaspatis (Jupiters) bedacht und die erhabene Sonne verehrt und besänftigt hat, soll man die Pradakṣiṇā vollziehen—das Heilige zur Linken—und dann sorgfältig den geeigneten Tag bestimmen.“

Word by Word

• bṛhaspati-balam: the strength/power of Bṛhaspati
• bṛhaspati-balam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bṛhaspati (प्रातिपदिक) + bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (बृहस्पतेः बलम्)

• gṛhya: having taken
• gṛhya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘गृह्य’ = having taken/accepted

• sūryam: the Sun
• sūryam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• saṃtarpya: having propitiated
• saṃtarpya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃ + tṛp (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘संतर्प्य’ = having satisfied/propitiated

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• uttamam: excellent, supreme
• uttamam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (सूर्यम्)

• vāmataḥ: on the left side
• vāmataḥ: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (adverbial ablative), ‘वामतः’ = from the left/at the left side

• pṛṣṭhataḥ: from behind
• pṛṣṭhataḥ: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pṛṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (adverbial ablative), ‘पृष्ठतः’ = from behind/at the back

• sarvam: everything, all (around)
• sarvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• vṛtvā: having gone around/encircled
• vṛtvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛt (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘वृत्वा’ = having turned/encircled

• saṃśodhya: having purified
• saṃśodhya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃ + śudh (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘संशोध्य’ = having purified/cleansed

• vāsaram: the day (daytime)
• vāsaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sārasvata (contextual continuation)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The king

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual preparation scene: offerings to the Sun at dawn, a jyotiṣin/sage indicating Jupiter’s strength, and a devotee performing pradakṣiṇā before choosing the departure day.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati (Jupiter)
• Sūrya (Sun)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred travel is strengthened by devotion (Sun worship) and discernment (choosing auspicious timing).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Vastrāpatha Kṣetra Māhātmya, giving preparatory rules for reaching the holy region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Propitiate Sūrya, consider Bṛhaspati’s strength, and determine an auspicious day for the journey.