Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

दंतकाष्ठं पुरा ब्राह्मे कृत्वा स्नानं समाचरेत् । स्वधर्मविहितं कर्म कृत्वा स्थाने मनोरमे

Transliteration

daṃtakāṣṭhaṃ purā brāhme kṛtvā snānaṃ samācaret | svadharmavihitaṃ karma kṛtvā sthāne manorame

Translation

À l’heure propice du brāhma-muhūrta, après avoir d’abord utilisé le bâtonnet pour les dents, qu’on accomplisse le bain selon le rite. En ce lieu sacré et charmant, qu’on exécute ensuite les devoirs prescrits par son propre dharma.

Word by Word

• दन्त-काष्ठम्: a tooth-stick
• दन्त-काष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object) — तत्पुरुषः (‘दन्तार्थं काष्ठम्’ = tooth-stick)

• पुरा: early; beforehand
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक-अव्ययम्: ‘formerly/early’)

• ब्राह्मे: in the brāhma (early-morning) period
• ब्राह्मे: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (समये/मुहूर्ते) — ‘in the brāhma (morning) time’

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्तम् (gerund/absolutive) — ‘having done’

• स्नानम्: bath
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• समाचरेत्: should perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Injunction/विधि-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + √चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• स्व-धर्म-विहितम्: prescribed by one’s own duty
• स्व-धर्म-विहितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + विहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √धा with वि-)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कर्मणः) — तत्पुरुष-समासः (‘स्वधर्मेण विहितम्’ = prescribed by one’s own duty)

• कर्म: act; duty
• कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्तम् (gerund) — ‘having done’

• स्थाने: in a place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणम्

• मनोरमे: pleasant; delightful
• मनोरमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनोरम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्थाने इत्यस्य)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn in Prabhāsa, a pilgrim performs dantakāṣṭha, then steps into water for snāna; afterward, he performs his svadharma rites in the serene sacred precinct.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Somnātha (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Begin worship at a tīrtha with purity, discipline, and actions aligned to one’s svadharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, the sacred region of Somnātha in the Skanda Purāṇa’s Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Morning dantadhāvana (tooth-stick), snāna (bath), and then performance of dharma-enjoined duties at the sacred place.