Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

ततो वै प्रयतो दद्याद्विधिवन्मंत्रपूर्वकम् । शंखतोयं समादाय सपुष्पं फलचंदनम्

Transliteration

tato vai prayato dadyādvidhivanmaṃtrapūrvakam | śaṃkhatoyaṃ samādāya sapuṣpaṃ phalacaṃdanam

Translation

Dann soll man, selbstbeherrscht, nach Vorschrift darbringen, von Mantra eingeleitet: Wasser in einer Muschel nehmen, dazu Blumen, Früchte und Sandelholzpaste.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/काल-निर्देशक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘then/from that’)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/पादपूरण-अव्यय

• प्रयतः: being disciplined/prepared
• प्रयतः: Karta (Agent qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रयत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृ-विशेषणम् (self-restrained/prepared)

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• विधिवत्: properly
• विधिवत्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘according to rule’)

• मन्त्रपूर्वकम्: preceded by mantra
• मन्त्रपूर्वकम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मन्त्र + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषणम् (with mantra as the prior accompaniment)

• शङ्खतोयम्: water in/from a conch
• शङ्खतोयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्ख + तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—शङ्खे (स्थितं) तोयम् / शङ्खस्य तोयम् (तत्पुरुषः)

• समादाय: having taken
• समादाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• सपुष्पम्: together with flowers
• सपुष्पम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः (‘स’=सहित); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म-विशेषणम्

• फलचन्दनम्: fruit and sandalwood (as an offering set)
• फलचन्दनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल + चन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समासः (समाहार-द्वन्द्वः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced; Vaiṣṇava-khaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee holds a white conch filled with water, with a plate of flowers, fruit, and sandal paste; moonlight glints on the conch as mantra is recited.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkha (conch)
• Arghya (implied offering)
• Candra (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity, rule, and mantra unite outer act and inner intent, making worship spiritually effective.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā is the wider māhātmya frame in which this worship-method is taught.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer arghya-like worship using conch-water along with flowers, fruit, and sandal, with mantra and proper procedure.