Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

राजापि स्वगृहं प्राप्य स्नात्वा संपूज्य देवताः । तां मृगीं स्नापयामास दिव्यगन्धानुलेपनाम्

Transliteration

rājāpi svagṛhaṃ prāpya snātvā saṃpūjya devatāḥ | tāṃ mṛgīṃ snāpayāmāsa divyagandhānulepanām

Translation

Le roi, de retour en sa demeure, se baigna et vénéra dûment les divinités; puis il fit baigner cette jeune biche et l’oignit de parfums célestes.

Word by Word

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि = ‘also’

• sva-gṛham: his own house
• sva-gṛham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य गृहम्)

• prāpya: having reached
• prāpya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√āp (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having reached)

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √snā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having bathed’

• saṃpūjya: having worshipped
• saṃpūjya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√pūj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having duly worshipped’

• devatāḥ: the deities
• devatāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• tām: her
• tām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• mṛgīm: the doe (female deer)
• mṛgīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛgī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• snāpayāmāsa: bathed (her) / caused her to bathe
• snāpayāmāsa: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √snā (धातु) [णिच् causative]
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative) = ‘caused to bathe/bathed (someone)’

• divya-gandha-anulepanām: (her) with divine fragrant unguents
• divya-gandha-anulepanām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक) + gandha (प्रातिपदिक) + anulepana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier) ताम्/मृगीम्; तत्पुरुष-समास (दिव्यः गन्धः यस्य अनुलेपनम्)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic reciter, contextually Sūta-like narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside the palace, the king completes his bath and worship at a small shrine; attendants then bathe the doe-maiden and apply divine perfumes, turning the act into a gentle rite.

Characters & Entities

• rājā (king)
• devatāḥ (deities)
• mṛgī (doe-maiden)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity and worship precede major actions; dharmic leadership begins with snāna and devatā-pūjā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to Prabhāsa Kṣetra’s Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) and devatā-pūjā (worship), followed by fragrant anointing (gandhānulepana).