Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

देवस्य स्नपनं कुर्यान्मृतैः पञ्चभिस्तथा । यथा शक्त्या समालभ्य पूजां कुर्याद्यथाविधि

Transliteration

devasya snapanaṃ kuryānmṛtaiḥ pañcabhistathā | yathā śaktyā samālabhya pūjāṃ kuryādyathāvidhi

Translation

Qu’on accomplisse aussi le bain rituel (snapana) de la Divinité avec les cinq substances dites « mṛta ». Puis, rassemblant selon ses moyens, qu’on accomplisse le culte conformément au rite.

Word by Word

• देवस्य: of the god (Śiva)
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• स्नपनम्: bathing/ablution (ritual bath)
• स्नपनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नपन (प्रातिपदिक; √स्ना धातोः णिच्/भावे ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Injunction/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• मृतैः: with clays/earths (ritual soils)
• मृतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत (प्रातिपदिक; मृत्/मृद् ‘earth/clay’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पञ्चभिः: with five
• पञ्चभिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण (मृतैः इति)

• तथा: thus, likewise
• तथा: Manner/Connector (Rīti/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (thus/also)

• यथा: according to
• यथा: Manner (Rīti/रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; यथार्थक (according to/as)

• शक्त्या: with (one's) ability
• शक्त्या: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समालभ्य: having obtained/procured
• समालभ्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-लभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• पूजाम्: worship
• पूजाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कुर्यात्: should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Injunction/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• यथाविधि: according to the prescribed rite
• यथाविधि: Manner (Rīti/रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (according to rule)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mārkaṇḍeśvara

Type: cave

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Uttānapāda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Priest/devotee performs snapana of the liṅga with five nectars, streams of white and golden liquids cascading over stone; offerings arranged neatly; worshipper gathers modest items, emphasizing yathāśakti sincerity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual purity and devotion are upheld, while emphasizing accessibility—worship should be done as per one’s capacity yet according to śāstric method.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instructions pertain to worship at the Mārkaṇḍeśvara cave-liṅga site within Revākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Deva-snapana (ritual bathing/abhisheka) with five ‘mṛta’ substances and then yathāvidhi pūjā.