Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

धूपयित्वा सुगंधैश्च यो धूपयति मानवः । मन्वंतराणि वसते तत्संख्यानि हरेर्गृहे

Transliteration

dhūpayitvā sugaṃdhaiśca yo dhūpayati mānavaḥ | manvaṃtarāṇi vasate tatsaṃkhyāni harergṛhe

Translation

The person who offers fragrant incense to Hari, perfuming the Lord’s presence, dwells in Hari’s abode for as many Manvantaras as the number of such offerings.

Word by Word

• धूपयित्वा: having fumigated
• धूपयित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धूपय् (धातु, णिच् causative of धूप्/धूप)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having fumigated’

• सुगन्धैः: with fragrances/incense
• सुगन्धैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुगन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/connector)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• धूपयति: fumigates
• धूपयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धूपय् (धातु, णिच्)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Present, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada)

• मानवः: a man/person
• मानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• मन्वन्तराणि: (for) manvantaras
• मन्वन्तराणि: Karma (Extent/कर्म-परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्वन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Plural)

• वसते: dwells
• वसते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (Present, 3rd person, Singular, Ātmanepada)

• तत्-संख्यानि: of that number (equal in count)
• तत्-संख्यानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (तत्संख्यानि = तद्वत् संख्यानि/तत्परिमाणानि); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Plural)

• हरेः: of Hari
• हरेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• गृहे: in the house/abode
• गृहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee waves fragrant incense before Hari; spirals of smoke rise like a silver river, filling the sanctum; the act is repeated, suggesting a count that reaches cosmic scale.

Characters & Entities

• Hari

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Small devotional acts like offering incense yield vast, time-transcending rewards when performed for Hari with reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, the sacred abode of Śrī Kṛṣṇa/Hari.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhūpa-sevā: offering fragrant incense as part of pūjā.