Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

गृहीत्वा च फलं शुभ्रं ह्यक्षतैश्च समन्वितम् । मन्त्रेणानेन वै विप्रा ह्यर्घ्यं दद्याद्विधानतः

Transliteration

gṛhītvā ca phalaṃ śubhraṃ hyakṣataiśca samanvitam | mantreṇānena vai viprā hyarghyaṃ dadyādvidhānataḥ

Translation

Taking a bright, pure fruit together with akṣata (unbroken rice-grains), O brāhmaṇas, one should, according to rule, offer arghya with the following mantra.

Word by Word

• गृहीत्वा: having taken
• गृहीत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) → गृहीत्वा
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्यय), अव्यय — Absolutive (gerund) ‘having taken’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय — conjunction

• फलम्: fruit
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• शुभ्रम्: white/pure
• शुभ्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; agrees with फलम्

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (हेतौ/निश्चये) — particle ‘indeed’

• अक्षतैः: with akṣata (unbroken rice)
• अक्षतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural ‘with unbroken rice grains’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय — conjunction

• समन्वितम्: accompanied/combined
• समन्वितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-अन्वि-इ (धातु) → समन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — PPP; Neuter, Accusative, Singular; agrees with फलम्

• मन्त्रेण: with a mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अनेन: with this
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — Pronoun; Instrumental, Singular

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (निश्चयार्थक) — particle ‘indeed’

• विप्राः: brāhmaṇas / O brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; (address/subject depending on context)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात — particle ‘indeed’

• अर्घ्यम्: arghya (ritual offering)
• अर्घ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• विधानतः: according to the prescribed method
• विधानतः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (विधानतस्), क्रियाविशेषण — Ablatival adverb ‘according to rule’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; instructional passage leading into the mantra in next verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprāḥ (brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A priestly devotee holds a spotless fruit and a small dish of unbroken rice, standing before the shrine, ready to pour arghya with mantra.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)
• Rukmiṇī (implied recipient)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through vidhi—devotion is strengthened when worship is performed carefully and respectfully.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, as the sacred setting for the formal worship of Rukmiṇī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer arghya using a pure fruit and akṣata, reciting the specified mantra (given in the next verse).