Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

तत्र गत्वा द्विजश्रेष्ठा ह्यर्घ्यं दद्याद्यथाविधि । फलपुष्पाक्षतैर्युक्तं चंदनेन च भूसुराः

Transliteration

tatra gatvā dvijaśreṣṭhā hyarghyaṃ dadyādyathāvidhi | phalapuṣpākṣatairyuktaṃ caṃdanena ca bhūsurāḥ

Translation

S’y étant rendu, ô le meilleur des deux-fois-nés, qu’on offre l’arghya selon le rite, avec des fruits, des fleurs, des grains de riz intacts et de la pâte de santal, ô brāhmaṇas.

Word by Word

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

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकर्म (having gone)

• द्विज-श्रेष्ठाः: the best Brahmins
• द्विज-श्रेष्ठाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘best brāhmaṇas’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: indeed)

• अर्घ्यम्: arghya offering
• अर्घ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; पूजोपहार (honor-offering)

• दद्याद्: should offer/give
• दद्याद्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; विध्यर्थ (should give)

• यथा-विधि: according to rule
• यथा-विधि: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (indeclinable adverbial compound)

• फल-पुष्प-अक्षतैः: with fruits, flowers, and rice-grains
• फल-पुष्प-अक्षतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक) + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व: ‘with fruits, flowers, and unbroken rice’

• युक्तम्: combined/associated
• युक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘endowed/combined’ (agreeing with अर्घ्यम्)

• चन्दनेन: with sandalwood
• चन्दनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• भू-सुराः: the Brahmins
• भू-सुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक) + सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘earth-gods’ = brāhmaṇas

Speaker

Prahlāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nṛga-kūpa

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-śreṣṭhas / bhūsuras (brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims arrive at a stone-lined well; a brāhmaṇa prepares a copper vessel of arghya with flowers, fruits, akṣata, and sandal paste, hands poised in careful ritual sequence.

Characters & Entities

• Nṛga-kūpa
• Arghya
• Bhūsura (brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred sites are approached through disciplined, reverent worship; correct ritual honors the deity and activates tīrtha merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nṛga-kūpa/Nṛga-tīrtha in the Dvārakā context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer arghya according to vidhi, using fruits, flowers, akṣata (unbroken rice), and sandal paste.