Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 127

Devanagari script

संस्नाप्य प्रथमे यामे पञ्चगव्येन शङ्करम् । घृतेन पूरणं पश्चात्कृतं नृपवरेण तु

Transliteration

saṃsnāpya prathame yāme pañcagavyena śaṅkaram | ghṛtena pūraṇaṃ paścātkṛtaṃ nṛpavareṇa tu

Translation

Au premier quart de la nuit, il baigna Śaṅkara de pañcagavya ; ensuite, le roi d’élite accomplit l’onction avec du ghee.

Word by Word

• saṃsnāpya: having bathed (him)
• saṃsnāpya: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-snā (धाातु) + ṇic (णिजन्त) + lyap (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप् अव्ययकृदन्तः; causative sense (having bathed/washed)

• prathame: in the first
• prathame: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prathama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifies yāme)

• yāme: watch/period (of the night)
• yāme: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचनम्

• pañcagavyena: with pañcagavya (five cow-products)
• pañcagavyena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca (संख्या) + gavya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचनम्; समासः—द्विगु (पञ्चानां गव्यानां समाहारः)

• śaṅkaram: Śaṅkara
• śaṅkaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṅkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• ghṛtena: with ghee
• ghṛtena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचनम्

• pūraṇam: filling/anointing (act)
• pūraṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचनम्

• paścāt: afterwards
• paścāt: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paścāt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; काल/क्रमवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम् (afterwards)

• kṛtam: was done
• kṛtam: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धाातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (it was done)

• nṛpavareṇa: by the excellent king
• nṛpavareṇa: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक) + vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचनम्; समासः—कर्मधारयः (वरः नृपः)

• tu: indeed/and
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निपातः (particle: emphasis/contrast)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (contextual attribution within Āvantya Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the first watch of the night, the king pours pañcagavya over the Śiva-liṅga; attendants bring a vessel of ghee for the next anointing, lamps flicker in the sanctum.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Pañcagavya
• Ghṛta
• Nṛpavara (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śivarātri devotion is expressed through carefully timed abhiṣeka, treating worship as sacred service.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Śiva shrine within the Revā/Narmadā sacred region where Śivarātri rites are performed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abhiṣeka in the first yāma with pañcagavya, followed by an anointing/rite using ghee.