Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

स्नापयेत्पयसा पूर्वं दध्ना घृतयुतेन च । मधुनेक्षुरसेनैव कुंकुमेन विलेपयेत्

Transliteration

snāpayetpayasā pūrvaṃ dadhnā ghṛtayutena ca | madhunekṣurasenaiva kuṃkumena vilepayet

Translation

पहले (लिङ्ग को) दूध से स्नान कराए; फिर घी-मिश्रित दही से; और मधु तथा ईख-रस से भी; तथा केसर से लेपन करे।

Word by Word

• स्नापयेत्: should bathe (it)
• स्नापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) [णिच्]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘should bathe/should cause to be bathed’

• पयसा: with milk
• पयसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• पूर्वं: first, beforehand
• पूर्वं: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — temporal adverb

• दध्ना: with curd/yogurt
• दध्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• घृतयुतेन: mixed with ghee
• घृतयुतेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घृत + युत (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Instrumental singular; दध्ना (instrument) qualifies: ‘mixed with ghee’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — conjunction

• मधुना: with honey
• मधुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• इक्षुरसेन: with sugarcane-juice
• इक्षुरसेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इक्षु + रस (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) — emphatic particle

• कुङ्कुमेन: with saffron/vermilion
• कुङ्कुमेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुङ्कुम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• विलेपयेत्: should anoint (it)
• विलेपयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु) [वि-] [णिच्]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘should anoint/smear’

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara) (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Caṇḍeśvara-liṅga (Prabhāsa)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Priest/devotee performs abhiṣeka to a black stone liṅga: streams of milk, then curd mixed with ghee, then honey and sugarcane juice; finally saffron paste is applied, with lamps and flowers around.

Characters & Entities

• Caṇḍeśvara Liṅga (implied)
• Abhiṣeka
• Milk
• Curd
• Ghee
• Honey
• Sugarcane juice
• Kuṅkuma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is expressed through orderly, pure offerings; ritual care (vidhi) becomes a form of reverence that sanctifies the pilgrim.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Caṇḍeśvara shrine within Prabhāsa-kṣetra, as part of the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya pilgrimage circuit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abhiṣeka sequence: milk first, then curd with ghee, then honey and sugarcane juice; followed by anointment with kuṅkuma.