Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

अग्निरित्यादिना भस्म गृहीत्वांगानि संस्पृशेत् । गृह्णीयात्संयते चाग्नौ भस्म तद्गृहवासिनाम्

Transliteration

agnirityādinā bhasma gṛhītvāṃgāni saṃspṛśet | gṛhṇīyātsaṃyate cāgnau bhasma tadgṛhavāsinām

Translation

‘അഗ്നി…’ തുടങ്ങിയ മന്ത്രത്തോടെ ഭസ്മം എടുത്ത് അവയവങ്ങളെ സ്പർശിക്കണം; പിന്നെ സംയതമായ പവിത്രാഗ്നിയിൽ നിന്ന് ഗൃഹവാസികൾക്കായി ആ ഭസ്മം ഗ്രഹിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• अग्निः: fire
• अग्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• इति: thus/“as”
• इति: Sambandha (quotative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: इति-शब्दः, वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक/उद्धरणसूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• आदिना: by (the formula) beginning with
• आदिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘आदि’ = beginning etc., ‘-आदिना’ = “starting with …”

• भस्म: ash
• भस्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गृहीत्वा: having taken
• गृहीत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having taken’

• अङ्गानि: limbs
• अङ्गानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• संस्पृशेत्: should touch
• संस्पृशेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गृह्णीयात्: should take
• गृह्णीयात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• संयते: in the restrained (controlled)
• संयते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + यम् (धातु) / संयत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘संयत’ = restrained/controlled (agreeing with ‘अग्नौ’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अग्नौ: in the fire
• अग्नौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• भस्म: ash
• भस्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तद्गृहवासिनाम्: of the residents of that house
• तद्गृहवासिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + गृह (प्रातिपदिक) + वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष समास; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘तद्-गृह-वासिन्’ = those dwelling in that house

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhasma (Pāśupata/Śaiva) observance at Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder draws ash from a carefully tended sacred fire while reciting ‘Agni…’; family members receive the ash and touch limbs reverently, marking tripuṇḍra.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Bhasma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred ash, taken with mantra and used with discipline, is a sanctifying Śaiva marker integrated into household dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction occurs within Prabhāsa Kṣetra Māhātmya while praising Pāśupateśvara-linked practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Taking bhasma with the ‘Agni…’ mantra, touching/anointing the limbs, and distributing household ash from a duly maintained fire.