Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

प्रभासस्याग्रतो भूत्वा स्नातः शुक्लांबरः शुचिः । यथोक्तेन विधानेन भक्त्या निद्राविवर्जितः

Transliteration

prabhāsasyāgrato bhūtvā snātaḥ śuklāṃbaraḥ śuciḥ | yathoktena vidhānena bhaktyā nidrāvivarjitaḥ

Translation

പ്രഭാസത്തിന്റെ സന്നിധിയിൽ നിന്നു അവൻ സ്നാനം ചെയ്തു, ശ്വേതവസ്ത്രം ധരിച്ചു ശുചിയായി നിന്നു. ശാസ്ത്രോക്തവിധിപ്രകാരം ഭക്തിയോടെ ആചരിച്ച് നിദ്രയെ ഒഴിവാക്കി നിന്നു.

Word by Word

• प्रभासस्य: of Prabhāsa
• प्रभासस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• अग्रतः: in front (of)
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘in front of’)

• भूत्वा: having become (standing)
• भूत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having become/being’

• स्नातः: bathed
• स्नातः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्नात (कृदन्त; √स्ना (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त

• शुक्ल-अम्बरः: wearing white garments
• शुक्ल-अम्बरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (शुक्लम् अम्बरम् यस्य)

• शुचिः: pure, clean
• शुचिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• यथा-उक्तेन: as prescribed
• यथा-उक्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + उक्त (कृदन्त; √वच् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव (यथा = ‘as’ + उक्त = ‘said’); ‘उक्त’ क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• विधानेन: by the procedure/rite
• विधानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निद्रा-विवर्जितः: deprived of sleep, sleepless
• निद्रा-विवर्जितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निद्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + विवर्जित (कृदन्त; वि-√वर्ज् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (निद्रया विवर्जितः = devoid of sleep); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya (deductively: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa narrating to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands facing the sacred Prabhāsa precinct at dawn, having bathed; he wears white garments, hands joined in añjali, eyes steady, body composed, suggesting a night-long vigil near the shrine while priests chant auspicious mantras.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• Śivarātri (context)
• Snāna
• Jāgaraṇa (vigil)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is expressed through disciplined ritual purity—snāna, clean attire, and wakeful vigilance—performed according to scriptural procedure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa, approached as a sanctifying presence before whom the devotee performs the observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing (snāna), wearing white garments, maintaining purity, and keeping awake (nid्रā-vivarjana/jāgaraṇa) per the prescribed vidhāna.