Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

पंचामृतेन देवेशं स्नापयेत्तीर्थवारिणा । श्रीखण्डं कुंकुमोन्मिश्रं मृगनाभिसमन्वितम् । विलेपयेच्च देवेशं भक्त्या दामोदरं हरिम्

Transliteration

paṃcāmṛtena deveśaṃ snāpayettīrthavāriṇā | śrīkhaṇḍaṃ kuṃkumonmiśraṃ mṛganābhisamanvitam | vilepayecca deveśaṃ bhaktyā dāmodaraṃ harim

Translation

One should bathe the Lord of gods (Devēśa) with pañcāmṛta and with water from the tīrtha. Then one should anoint the Lord with śrīkhaṇḍa sandal paste mixed with kuṅkuma and blended with musk; and, in devotion, thus apply the sacred unguents to Dāmodara Hari.

Word by Word

• paṃcāmṛtena: with the five nectars (pañcāmṛta)
• paṃcāmṛtena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṃca + amṛta (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया (instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• deveśam: the Lord of gods
• deveśam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + īśa (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• snāpayet: should bathe (cause to be bathed)
• snāpayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (धातु) (causative: snāpaya-)
• Form: णिच्-प्रेरणार्थक (causative), लट्-विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपदम्

• tīrthavāriṇā: with sacred water
• tīrthavāriṇā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha + vāri (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter; vāri), तृतीया (instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• śrīkhaṇḍam: sandalwood paste
• śrīkhaṇḍam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī + khaṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• kuṃkuma-unmiśram: mixed with saffron
• kuṃkuma-unmiśram: Karman (Qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kuṃkuma + unmiśra (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular); विशेषणम् (qualifier of śrīkhaṇḍam)

• mṛganābhi-samanvitam: accompanied with musk (mṛganābhi)
• mṛganābhi-samanvitam: Karman (Qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛga-nābhi + samanvita (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त (PPP: samanvita), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular); विशेषणम्

• vilepayet: should anoint
• vilepayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: lip (धातु) (vi + lepaya-, causative)
• Form: णिच्-प्रेरणार्थक (causative), लट्-विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपदम्

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• deveśam: the Lord of gods
• deveśam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + īśa (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), तृतीया (instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• dāmodaram: Dāmodara
• dāmodaram: Karman (Apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāmodara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• harim: Hari (Vishnu)
• harim: Karman (Apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (Gomatī-tīra tīrtha-jala)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprendra (best of brāhmaṇas) (context continues in later verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a Dvārakā shrine, the mūrti of Dāmodara is bathed with pañcāmṛta and tīrtha-water; priests anoint Him with sandal paste tinted with saffron, the air heavy with musk and incense; lamps flicker against carved pillars.

Characters & Entities

• Pañcāmṛta
• Tīrtha-water
• Śrīkhaṇḍa (sandal)
• Kuṅkuma
• Mṛganābhi (musk)
• Dāmodara
• Hari (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional worship becomes complete through reverent service—abhiṣeka, fragrant offerings, and heartfelt bhakti to Dāmodara.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tīrtha-water is explicitly praised; within this chapter it points to the Gomati/Dvārakā tīrtha setting in Dvārakā Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abhiṣeka of the deity with pañcāmṛta and tīrtha-water, followed by anointing with sandal paste mixed with saffron and musk, directed to Dāmodara Hari.