Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

पवित्रैरुपचारैश्च पूजयंतु द्विजोत्तमाः । अष्टौ प्रमाणपुरुषाः पौराणां कार्यदर्शिनः

Transliteration

pavitrairupacāraiśca pūjayaṃtu dvijottamāḥ | aṣṭau pramāṇapuruṣāḥ paurāṇāṃ kāryadarśinaḥ

Translation

Let the best of the twice-born worship (the Deity) with pure offerings and sacred services. Let eight authoritative men—versed in Purāṇic tradition and skilled in overseeing public affairs—be appointed as standards of guidance.

Word by Word

• पवित्रैः: with pure
• पवित्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘उपचारैः’ इति विशेषणम्

• उपचारैः: with services/offerings
• उपचारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordinator/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पूजयन्तु: let them worship
• पूजयन्तु: Vidhi (Injunctive predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: the best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (‘द्विजानाम् उत्तमाः’), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अष्टौ: eight
• अष्टौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘पुरुषाः’ इति विशेषणम्

• प्रमाणपुरुषाः: authoritative persons; men of authority
• प्रमाणपुरुषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण + पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समासः (‘प्रमाणभूताः पुरुषाः’), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पौराणाम्: of the townspeople/citizens
• पौराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कार्यदर्शिनः: overseeing duties; discerning what is to be done
• कार्यदर्शिनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य + दर्शिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (‘कार्यं पश्यन्ति’), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘प्रमाणपुरुषाः’ इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Soma (the Moon-god), addressing the dvijas/ritual leaders at Prabhāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ (assembled brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sanctified shrine precinct at Prabhāsa: dvijas perform pūjā with spotless vessels, flowers, incense, lamps; nearby, eight dignified elders sit as prāmāṇika guardians holding palm-leaf texts, overseeing pilgrims and temple affairs.

Characters & Entities

• Soma
• dvijottama
• upacāra
• Purāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha thrives through both pure worship and accountable guardianship rooted in Purāṇic dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where worship and administrative standards are prescribed for sacred continuity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform pūjā with pure upacāras and establish qualified overseers (eight pramāṇa-puruṣas) to guide affairs.