Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

गंगायां भास्करे क्षेत्रे मातापित्रोर्गुरौ मृते । आधाने सोमपाने च वपनं सप्तसु स्मृतम्

Transliteration

gaṃgāyāṃ bhāskare kṣetre mātāpitrorgurau mṛte | ādhāne somapāne ca vapanaṃ saptasu smṛtam

Translation

Le vapana (rasage) est enseigné comme convenable en sept occasions : au Gaṅgā, dans le Bhāskara-kṣetra, à la mort de la mère, du père ou du maître, lors du rite d’établissement du feu sacré (ādhāna), et lors du rite de la boisson de Soma.

Word by Word

• गङ्गायाम्: in the Ganga
• गङ्गायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• भास्करे: in Bhāskara (place/name)
• भास्करे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भास्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field/region
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• मातापित्रोः: of mother and father
• मातापित्रोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माता (प्रातिपदिक) + पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), द्विवचन

• गुरौ: when/with the teacher
• गुरौ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• मृते: dead; upon death
• मृते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृ (धातु) → मृत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘गुरौ’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• आधाने: at the rite of conception/impregnation (ādhāna)
• आधाने: Adhikarana (Occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• सोमपाने: at the drinking of soma
• सोमपाने: Adhikarana (Occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक) + पान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-भाव: ‘सोमस्य पानम्’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• वपनम्: shaving/tonsure
• वपनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता-प्रातिपदिक), एकवचन

• सप्तसु: in seven (occasions)
• सप्तसु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), बहुवचन; ‘(अवस्थासु/कालेषु)’ इत्यध्याहारः

• स्मृतम्: is prescribed/declared
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः—‘स्मृतम्’ = ‘is prescribed/remembered’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā; Bhāskara-kṣetra (Sūrya-kṣetra)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Continuing addressee

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A montage-like ritual tableau: a pilgrim at Gaṅgā with shaved head; a Sūrya shrine labeled Bhāskara-kṣetra; mourners after a guru/parent’s death; a sacred fire being established (ādhāna); and a Soma-yāga scene with priests.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Bhāskara-kṣetra
• Mother
• Father
• Guru
• Ādhāna (Vedic rite)
• Soma rite

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual acts like shaving become dharmic markers when aligned with life-transitions, ancestral duty, and Vedic consecrations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā and Bhāskara-kṣetra are highlighted as contexts where prescribed purification rites are especially fitting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vapana (shaving) is prescribed on seven occasions, including pilgrimage contexts and major saṃskāra/śrauta rites.