Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

प्रणिपत्य गृहीत्वार्घ्यं पंचरत्नसमन्वितम् । सपुष्पाक्षतगंधैश्च फलहेमसुचंदनैः

Transliteration

praṇipatya gṛhītvārghyaṃ paṃcaratnasamanvitam | sapuṣpākṣatagaṃdhaiśca phalahemasucaṃdanaiḥ

Translation

After bowing down, one should take up an arghya-offering furnished with the five gems, together with flowers, akṣata (unbroken rice), fragrances, fruits, gold, and fine sandalwood.

Word by Word

• praṇipatya: having bowed down
• praṇipatya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-ṇi-pat (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: पत् (to fall) उपसर्ग: प्र+नि; अर्थे: प्रणामं कृत्वा (having bowed)

• gṛhītvā: having taken
• gṛhītvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: ग्रह् (to take)

• arghyam: arghya offering (water/oblation of respect)
• arghyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arghya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• paṃcaratna-samanvitam: endowed with five gems
• paṃcaratna-samanvitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paṃca (प्रातिपदिक) + ratna (प्रातिपदिक) + samanvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः: पञ्चरत्नैः समन्वितम् (instrumental-tatpurusha sense: endowed with five gems)

• sa-puṣpa-akṣata-gaṃdhaiḥ: with flowers, akṣata, and fragrances
• sa-puṣpa-akṣata-gaṃdhaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣata (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṃdha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः: पुष्पाक्षतगन्धैः सह (with flowers, unbroken rice, and fragrances)

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

• phala-hema-su-caṃdanaiḥ: with fruits, gold, and fine sandalwood
• phala-hema-su-caṃdanaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक) + hema (प्रातिपदिक) + su-caṃdana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः: फलानि च हेम च सुचन्दनानि च (with fruits, gold, and good sandalwood)

Speaker

Deductive (Dvārakā Māhātmya narrator within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa; traditionally Sūta speaking in Purāṇic frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā-kṣetra (arghya offering)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee kneels with a shining arghya-vessel filled with pañcaratna, flowers, akṣata, perfumes, fruits, gold pieces, and sandal paste; priests and lamps frame the offering.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is expressed through respectful offerings; sacred ritual is both inner reverence and outer discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The offering is part of the worship sequence at Cakratīrtha in Dvārakā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prepare arghya with pañcaratna and auspicious materials (flowers, akṣata, fragrances, fruits, gold, sandalwood) after praṇāma.