Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

अर्घ्यं दत्त्वा विधानेन स्नानं कुर्याद्विचक्षणः । मंत्रेणानेन वै साध्व्यः श्रद्धया परया युतः

Transliteration

arghyaṃ dattvā vidhānena snānaṃ kuryādvicakṣaṇaḥ | maṃtreṇānena vai sādhvyaḥ śraddhayā parayā yutaḥ

Translation

Having offered arghya according to the proper rite, the discerning devotee should perform the sacred bath, endowed with supreme faith, using this very mantra.

Word by Word

• अर्घ्यम्: arghya (ritual offering)
• अर्घ्यम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दत्त्वा: having offered
• दत्त्वा: पूर्वकालक्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having given’

• विधानेन: according to the prescribed rule
• विधानेन: करण (Means/Procedure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कुर्यात्: should do/perform
• कुर्यात्: क्रिया (Injunction/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/Imperative sense), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• विचक्षणः: a discerning person
• विचक्षणः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मन्त्रेण: with a mantra
• मन्त्रेण: करण (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अनेन: with this
• अनेन: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• वै: indeed
• वै: सम्बोधन/निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपातः (emphatic particle)

• साध्व्यः: virtuous women
• साध्व्यः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साध्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: करण (Means/Attitude)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• परया: supreme/utter
• परया: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘श्रद्धया’)

• युतः: endowed/associated (with)
• युतः: विशेषण (Qualifier of the doer)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √युज् (धातु) + क्त → युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle used adjectivally); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘युक्तः’ अर्थे

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā tīrtha (bathing place within Dvārakā-māhātmya)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a sacred water edge offering arghya with cupped hands, then preparing for ritual bath; the atmosphere is orderly, reverent, and mantra-centered.

Characters & Entities

• Arghya
• Mantra
• Snāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred acts become transformative when performed with correct procedure (vidhi) and wholehearted faith (śraddhā).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā’s tīrtha context in this chapter, especially the bathing setting later named as Gopikā-sara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer arghya properly, then bathe while reciting the prescribed mantra with supreme faith.