Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

सानुस्वारोकारयुतो हकारः फट्समन्वितः । अनेनास्त्रेण संगृह्य स्नानं तत्र समाचरेत्

Transliteration

sānusvārokārayuto hakāraḥ phaṭsamanvitaḥ | anenāstreṇa saṃgṛhya snānaṃ tatra samācaret

Translation

The «astra» is the syllable ha joined with the vowel o and nasalization (anusvāra, ṃ), and endowed with the exclamation phaṭ. Using this astra, one should collect the cleansing earth and perform the bath there.

Word by Word

• सानुस्वारोकारयुतः: endowed with anusvāra and the syllable ‘o’
• सानुस्वारोकारयुतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सानुस्वार-ओकार-युत (प्रातिपदिक; स + अनुस्वार + ओकार + युत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हकारस्य विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुष-समास (अनुस्वारेण ओकारेण च युतः)

• हकारः: the syllable ‘ha’
• हकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• फट्समन्वितः: accompanied by ‘phaṭ’
• फट्समन्वितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: फट्-समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; फट् + समन्वित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हकारस्य विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (फट्-शब्देन समन्वितः)

• अनेन: with this
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; करणार्थे

• अस्त्रेण: with the (mantra-)weapon
• अस्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संगृह्य: having collected
• संगृह्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); उपसर्गः सम्-

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• समाचरेत्: should perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आचर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः सम्- + आ-

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextual snāna at associated tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at Prabhāsa gathers purified clay/earth, silently forms the astra-syllable ‘hoṃ’ with ‘phaṭ’, preparing for ritual bathing at the sacred shore.

Characters & Entities

• Astra-mantra
• phaṭ (mantric exclamation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual purity is guarded by mantra: sound-formulas are presented as spiritual protections that sanctify action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, in the context of its prescribed mantra-aided bathing procedure.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use the specified astra-mantra (hakāra with okāra and anusvāra, plus phaṭ) while collecting and then performing snāna.