Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 178

Devanagari script

गतिगंधं च सौभाग्यं परमं विंदते नरः । कस्तूरिकामर्दनकैरैश्वर्यमतुलं लभेत्

Transliteration

gatigaṃdhaṃ ca saubhāgyaṃ paramaṃ viṃdate naraḥ | kastūrikāmardanakairaiśvaryamatulaṃ labhet

Translation

L’homme obtient un parfum agréable et la plus haute bonne fortune. En se frictionnant de kastūrī (musc), il reçoit une prospérité et une souveraineté incomparables.

Word by Word

• गतिगंधम्: fragrance (and) good repute/‘scent of movement’ (i.e., attractive fragrance)
• गतिगंधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति + गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक; components)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गतेः गन्धः) कर्म

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordinator/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सौभाग्यम्: good fortune
• सौभाग्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौभाग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म

• परमम्: supreme, excellent
• परमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of सौभाग्यम्)

• विंदते: obtains
• विंदते: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नरः: a man, person
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्ता

• कस्तूरिकामर्दनकैः: with musk-rubbings/anointments
• कस्तूरिकामर्दनकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कस्तूरिका + मर्दनक (प्रातिपदिक; components)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कस्तूरिकायाः मर्दनकाः) करण

• ऐश्वर्यम्: lordship, prosperity
• ऐश्वर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐश्वर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म

• अतुलम्: incomparable
• अतुलम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of ऐश्वर्यम्)

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya; speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee prepares musk paste, rubbing it between palms, then offers it at a radiant altar; the air is thick with sweet fragrance; symbols of fortune (lotus, conch, kalasha) appear.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Kastūrikā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspiciousness in life—progress, reputation, and prosperity—is portrayed as flowing from sanctified acts of worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, in the sequence describing Sūrya worship through fragrances and unguents.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mardana (rubbing/applying) kastūrikā (musk) as a sacred fragrant offering/anointment.