Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

पावकं पूजयेद्देवि अग्निमीऌए पुरोहितम् । रक्षोहणं वाजिनेति विरूपाक्षं सदार्चयेत्

Transliteration

pāvakaṃ pūjayeddevi agnimīḷe purohitam | rakṣohaṇaṃ vājineti virūpākṣaṃ sadārcayet

Translation

Ô Déesse, on doit vénérer Pāvaka (Agni) par « agnim īḷe purohitam ». Par « rakṣohaṇaṃ vājina… », on doit toujours adorer Virūpākṣa.

Word by Word

• pāvakam: Pāvaka (Agni)
• pāvakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāvaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (Agni as Pāvaka)

• pūjayet: one should worship
• pūjayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pūj (पूज्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• devi: O देवी
• devi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• agnim: Agni
• agnim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (mantra-quoted object)

• īḷe: I praise
• īḷe: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √īḷ (ईळ्/ईड्)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; मन्त्रपद (I praise)

• purohitam: the priest (purohita)
• purohitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purohita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म; (अग्निं ... पुरोहितम्—apposition)

• rakṣohaṇam: slayer of demons
• rakṣohaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣas + han (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म; समासः—तत्पुरुष (रक्षसां हन्ता)

• vājina: O Vājin (swift/possessing strength)
• vājina: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vājin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; मन्त्रपद (address)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणसूचक अव्यय

• virūpākṣam: Virūpākṣa
• virūpākṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: virūpa + akṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म; समासः—कर्मधारय

• sadā: always
• sadā: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय

• arcayet: one should worship
• arcayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arc (अर्च्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agni as a radiant, flame-bodied deity receiving ghee-offerings while the Ṛgvedic opening is chanted; beside the ritual boundary stands Virūpākṣa as a vigilant guardian figure, warding off rākṣasa forces, with protective gestures and weapons/insignia.

Characters & Entities

• Pāvaka (Agni)
• Virūpākṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vedic mantra and Purāṇic devotion converge: the same sacred utterances empower worship in a tīrtha and purify the pilgrim’s acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where worship is performed with renowned Ṛgvedic mantra openings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā of Agni (Pāvaka) using “agnim īḷe purohitam” and continual arcana of Virūpākṣa with the cited mantra.