Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

दीक्षा ग्राह्या नृपश्रेष्ठ पुरश्चरणमादितः । कृत्वा कायविशुद्ध्यर्थं ततः श्रेयस्करी भवेत्

Transliteration

dīkṣā grāhyā nṛpaśreṣṭha puraścaraṇamāditaḥ | kṛtvā kāyaviśuddhyarthaṃ tataḥ śreyaskarī bhavet

Translation

ഹേ നൃപശ്രേഷ്ഠാ! ആദ്യം ദീക്ഷ സ്വീകരിക്കണം; തുടർന്ന് ആരംഭത്തിൽ പുരശ്ചരണം ദേഹശുദ്ധിക്കായി ആചരിക്കണം. അങ്ങനെ ചെയ്താൽ അത് പരമ ശ്രേയസ്സു നൽകുന്നതാകും।

Word by Word

• दीक्षा: initiation (dīkṣā)
• दीक्षा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ग्राह्या: to be accepted / should be taken
• ग्राह्या: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) → ग्राह्य (कृदन्त/gerundive)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective); कर्तरि-भावे ‘ग्रहणीय/स्वीकार्य’

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नृपाणां श्रेष्ठः)

• पुरश्चरणम्: preliminary observance (puraścaraṇa)
• पुरश्चरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरस् (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ) + चरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव-समासः (पुरः + चरणम्)

• आदितः: at first / in the beginning
• आदितः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वान्त/अव्ययभाव)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• कायविशुद्ध्यर्थम्: for the purpose of bodily purification
• कायविशुद्ध्यर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काय (प्रातिपदिक) + विशुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुषः (काय-विशुद्ध्यर्थम् = कायस्य विशुद्ध्यर्थम्)

• ततः: then / thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक तद्)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• श्रेयस्करी: beneficial / bringing welfare
• श्रेयस्करी: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (श्रेयसः करी)

• भवेत्: would be / should become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (ritual instructors)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa officiant places a sacred thread/marks the king for dīkṣā; nearby are kuśa grass, kalaśa, and a small homa fire. The king undertakes austere preparatory observances, shown by simple attire and controlled posture.

Characters & Entities

• dīkṣā
• puraścaraṇa
• nṛpaśreṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity and preparation are integral to dharma; inner resolve must be matched by disciplined preliminaries.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the focus is on ritual eligibility through dīkṣā and preparatory practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Accept dīkṣā first and undertake puraścaraṇa as a preliminary discipline aimed at bodily purification.