Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

श्रीखंडादीनि संत्यज्य सदा भस्मावगुंठितः । सर्वदेति वचः सत्यं किमन्यत्स प्रदास्यति

Transliteration

śrīkhaṃḍādīni saṃtyajya sadā bhasmāvaguṃṭhitaḥ | sarvadeti vacaḥ satyaṃ kimanyatsa pradāsyati

Translation

Délaissant le santal et tout ce qui s’y apparente, il demeure toujours couvert de cendre sacrée. La parole « Il donne à tous » est vraie ; que ne donnerait-il donc pas ?

Word by Word

• श्रीखण्डादीनि: sandalwood etc.
• श्रीखण्डादीनि: कर्म (Object of abandoning)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीखण्ड + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः: श्रीखण्डं च आदयः (ādi = 'etc.') → 'sandalwood and the like'

• संत्यज्य: having abandoned
• संत्यज्य: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): 'having abandoned'; उपसर्ग: सम्

• सदा: always
• सदा: कालाधिकरण (Temporal adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नित्यत्ववाचक-अव्यय (adverb: always)

• भस्मावगुण्ठितः: covered with ash
• भस्मावगुण्ठितः: विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्मन् + अवगुण्ठित (कृदन्त; √गुण्ठ्/गुण्ठ् 'to cover')
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त: अवगुण्ठित = covered; तत्पुरुषः (तृतीया/करण): भस्मना अवगुण्ठितः = 'covered with ash'

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: कालाधिकरण (Temporal adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय (at all times)

• इति: thus
• इति: वाक्य-समाप्ति/उद्धरण (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• वचः: word/statement
• वचः: कर्म/विषय (Object/topic: 'statement')
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• सत्यम्: true
• सत्यम्: विधेय-विशेषण (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• किम्: what
• किम्: कर्म/विषय (Interrogative object/topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• अन्यत्: other
• अन्यत्: विशेषण (Qualifier of 'kim')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• प्रदास्यति: will give
• प्रदास्यति: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: प्र

Speaker

Deductive (Vastrāpatha-kṣetra-māhātmya narrative voice praising Śiva’s ash-clad ascetic form)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee sets aside sandal paste and perfumes, instead applying sacred ash; Śiva stands as the ash-clad benefactor, extending a boon-giving hand to all—ascetics, householders, the poor.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Bhasma (sacred ash)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Renunciation (ash-clad simplicity) and boundless generosity are portrayed as divine qualities; the Lord is the ultimate giver.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra in the Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa, where Śiva’s forms and virtues are extolled.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Indirectly, it evokes Śaiva bhasma practice (sacred ash) as a marker of devotion, though no explicit injunction is stated.