Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

अग्निं दूतेति मंत्रेण अनेनावाह्य भामिनि । आकृष्णेन रजसा मंत्रेणानेन वाऽर्चयेत्

Transliteration

agniṃ dūteti maṃtreṇa anenāvāhya bhāmini | ākṛṣṇena rajasā maṃtreṇānena vā'rcayet

Translation

Ô dame rayonnante, invoque-le (āvāhana) par le mantra « agniṃ dūta » ; puis adore-le, et tu peux aussi l’honorer avec le mantra « ākṛṣṇena rajasā ».

Word by Word

• अग्निम्: Agni
• अग्निम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (accusative singular)

• दूत: messenger (as in the mantra)
• दूत: Sambandha (Cited epithet/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; मन्त्रपद (cited word)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणसमाप्तिसूचक (quotative)

• मन्त्रेण: with the mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (instrumental)

• अनेन: with this
• अनेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुं, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आवाह्य: having invoked
• आवाह्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√वह् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): 'having invoked'

• भामिनि: O radiant lady
• भामिनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भामिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन (vocative)

• आकृष्णेन: with dark/black
• आकृष्णेन: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of instrument/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आकृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण (instrumental singular: 'with dark/black')

• रजसा: with dust/pollen
• रजसा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (instrumental singular)

• मन्त्रेण: with the mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• अनेन: with this
• अनेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुं, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle: or)

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अर्च् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A goddess-addressed interlocutor (“bhāmini/devī”) within the dialogue

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-priest in Prabhāsa performs Agni-āvāhana at a small altar near the sea/riverine edge, offering flowers and ghee while reciting Vedic mantras; the kṣetra’s sanctity is suggested by distant temple silhouettes and a glowing sacrificial flame.

Characters & Entities

• Vedic Mantra: agniṃ dūta
• Vedic Mantra: ākṛṣṇena rajasā
• Agni
• Sūrya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vedic mantras serve as authorized gateways for invocation and worship, linking Purāṇic devotion to śruti tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ritual guidance is embedded in the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya, presenting Prabhāsa as a locus for Vedic-mode Sūryapūjā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Invoke with ‘agniṃ dūta’ and perform worship (arcana) using ‘ākṛṣṇena rajasā’ (or related mantra usage as prescribed).