Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

आदौ कृत्वा तु वपनं सोमे श्वरसमीपतः । शंकरं मनसा ध्यायन्केशांस्तत्र परित्यजेत् । समुत्तार्य ततः केशान्भूयः स्नानं समाचरेत्

Transliteration

ādau kṛtvā tu vapanaṃ some śvarasamīpataḥ | śaṃkaraṃ manasā dhyāyankeśāṃstatra parityajet | samuttārya tataḥ keśānbhūyaḥ snānaṃ samācaret

Translation

First, having performed tonsure near Someśvara, and meditating in the mind upon Śaṅkara, one should leave the hair there. Then, after gathering and removing the hair, one should again perform the ritual bath.

Word by Word

• आदौ: at first
• आदौ: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘at first’

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) ‘having done’

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• वपनम्: shaving (tonsure)
• वपनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• सोमेश्वरसमीपतः: near Someśvara
• सोमेश्वरसमीपतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सोमेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + समीप (प्रातिपदिक) + तः (तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘सोमेश्वरसमीपतः’ = from/near the vicinity of Someśvara

• शंकरम्: Śaṅkara
• शंकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• मनसा: with the mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ध्यायन्: meditating upon
• ध्यायन्: Kriya-sahacari (Concomitant/सहचर)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्यै (धातु) → ध्यायत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle, शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियासहचर (concomitant action)

• केशान्: hair
• केशान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• परित्यजेत्: should abandon/leave
• परित्यजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः परि-

• समुत्तार्य: having removed
• समुत्तार्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत्-तॄ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्-अव्यय (absolutive) ‘having lifted up/removed’; उपसर्गः सम्+उत्-

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘then/thereafter’

• केशान्: hair
• केशान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• भूयः: again
• भूयः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘again/further’

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

• समाचरेत्: should perform/practice
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः सम्+आ-

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Someśvara-samīpa vapanāṅga (tonsure station) linked to the nearby kuṇḍa/snānā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim seated near the Somanātha precinct, barber/attendant performing tonsure; the pilgrim meditates on Śaṅkara; hair is gathered and placed at a designated spot; then the pilgrim proceeds to the water for a second bath.

Characters & Entities

• Someśvara/Somanātha
• Śaṅkara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer acts like tonsure become sacred when joined to inner remembrance (dhyāna) of Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Someśvara/Somanātha precincts within Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where shaving and bathing are prescribed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform vapana (tonsure) near Someśvara, leave the hair there, then bathe again.