Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

दंतकाष्ठं पुरा ब्राह्मे कृत्वा स्नानं समाचरेत् । स्वधर्मविहितं कर्म कृत्वा स्थाने मनोरमे

Transliteration

daṃtakāṣṭhaṃ purā brāhme kṛtvā snānaṃ samācaret | svadharmavihitaṃ karma kṛtvā sthāne manorame

Translation

At the auspicious brāhma-muhūrta, having first used a tooth-stick, one should duly perform bathing. In that delightful sacred place, one should then carry out the duties enjoined by one’s own dharma.

Word by Word

• दन्त-काष्ठम्: a tooth-stick
• दन्त-काष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object) — तत्पुरुषः (‘दन्तार्थं काष्ठम्’ = tooth-stick)

• पुरा: early; beforehand
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक-अव्ययम्: ‘formerly/early’)

• ब्राह्मे: in the brāhma (early-morning) period
• ब्राह्मे: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (समये/मुहूर्ते) — ‘in the brāhma (morning) time’

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्तम् (gerund/absolutive) — ‘having done’

• स्नानम्: bath
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• समाचरेत्: should perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Injunction/विधि-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + √चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• स्व-धर्म-विहितम्: prescribed by one’s own duty
• स्व-धर्म-विहितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + विहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √धा with वि-)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कर्मणः) — तत्पुरुष-समासः (‘स्वधर्मेण विहितम्’ = prescribed by one’s own duty)

• कर्म: act; duty
• कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्तम् (gerund) — ‘having done’

• स्थाने: in a place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणम्

• मनोरमे: pleasant; delightful
• मनोरमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनोरम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्थाने इत्यस्य)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn in Prabhāsa, a pilgrim performs dantakāṣṭha, then steps into water for snāna; afterward, he performs his svadharma rites in the serene sacred precinct.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Somnātha (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Begin worship at a tīrtha with purity, discipline, and actions aligned to one’s svadharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, the sacred region of Somnātha in the Skanda Purāṇa’s Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Morning dantadhāvana (tooth-stick), snāna (bath), and then performance of dharma-enjoined duties at the sacred place.